Accidentally in love - an adventure in Social Dancing...

I've never before been a dance student.  Never learned to put my feet, to the beat - as it were.  Yet I am feeling increasingly more at home on the dance floor - finding myself falling in love with a new/old and different era of music and culture, which is inevitably attached to this dance.

I have (accidentally) found another way to express my love of music, by giving my whole body - instead of just my fingers or my voice to the song.  And I say accidentally, because this wasn't how I expected to feel - and like a newbie in love I find myself thinking about it constantly!  Rock-stepping in the kitchen, or doing my Charleston down the hall (or in the shopping mall)!  Planning outfits to wear, and perhaps the most telling sign of a newfound love is feeling an awakening of somewhere inside yourself which until now, you hadn't known.

This may be just a dramatic way to tell you how much I am enjoying Swing Dancing - but truly, I have been through a formative saga of fear, and triumph and discovery, of excitement, and drama, and trauma, and courage, and delight!  

I think also, this culture may be bringing me closer than I've ever been before to finding where my voice really needs to really sing - in those diva-ish lower octaves, to those fabulous horns, skins and strings...  With a flower in my hair and Billie Holiday as my style and song guru.  Perhaps this is home? - for certain it is love...

Shell xx

If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked a Cake!

I've recently been tapping my toes and skipping my feet to the sound of such swinging beats..!

I have nearly completed a 6 week beginners class in Swing dancing!  And in my own time - in the still of the night - I have been tuning my voice to a vintage tone - and I am nearly ready to bring it to light...

Hach-a-doo a-hach-a-doo a-hach-a-doo!

Shell xx

Give me a home amongst the Gum trees...

I walk most days through the gums and the oak trees, up the round hill and back down again.  Usually before eight in the morning I have stretched my muscles, sweated at my brow, and witnessed the view from what I think is one of the most beautiful places in my little corner of the Land Down Under.

I recollect here - but today I give you these perfect purple and red dried gum leaves which I can rarely resist picking up off the ground around my steps down the mountain.  I am enamored with the veins running through them, the holes and cracks, the curves and the texture, the way they already look like fossils before my lens.  I could go on, and on...

I have also, finally got my own home made bread thing happening!  At the moment I am churning out these crusty, rustic, tasty, Irish soda bread loaves - and they are a picnic-ers heaven!  They take about 5 minutes to prepare, and 35 minutes or so to bake!  Last sunny Sunday I sliced some cold left over roast, whipped up a salad & flask of tea - with this bespoke bread baby on board we were on our way to Floriade to enjoy it with some friends & family - and to catch a Swing big band in the afternoon sun amongst the blooms!

{Discussions are also rumoured to have taken place about The Tullys forming a bit of an old timey Swing band thing...}

In short, it was a wonderful day spent with my babies, and my best friend in tow!

And speaking of babies...

Mine is getting bigger, bubblier and more scrumptiously, kissably, lovable everyday!

So!  

That is me...

...of late,

for now,

& in short!

Apologetically late-

pathetically slow-

inexcusably tardy-

but forever yours,

affectionately!

Shell xx

Amen to freedom, and Sunday mornings...

On the morn of a 10 year anniversary, of a terrible act of war, I woke with my love drenched in the peace of Spring's sunshine through our curtains.  

I said a prayer for everyone in my life that I could think of - and then a general prayer for everyone I could hardly bear to think of, and too often forget to think of, who suffered, and those who continue to suffer and serve as a result of 9/11.

I sat quietly lots of times today with my head bowed,
and gave a little piece of my heart for them all.

And remembered that love is stronger than hated,

Love wins in the end,

Amen to freedom!

And to Sunday mornings.

Shell xx

And the Season is Spring!

Around to the side of Green House cottage lives a very old, and grand fruit tree.  She has been there for as long as my Father in Law can remember (as the Green House is his childhood home) and was planted, I believe by his own mother maybe as long as 70 years ago...

And every year, upon the awakening of Spring, it looks as though she stretches, ever more so her branches, and her perfect white blossomy wings - so this year to celebrate the season - I had a dance with her in the breeze...

Took the air which swirled to make a most magnificent sky,

I brushed my nose to her pollen,

And stepped upon her petal confetti,

Looked high up under canopy, 

And wore crocheted blossoms on my cardi, in tribute!

Together we swayed, and I prayed a thank you for her legacy, (and that of the wonderful woman who planted her).  I held her tight for a little while, and we saw off the last of the Winter, together.

Shell xx

A gift...

A gift from my sister (in law), after pruning my fruit trees for me.  Brought in some blossom cuttings for flowering in my sunroom...

Bless her heart,

That she has so delighted me!

It's little things like this which bond us all to one another.  And keep us in hope that love never fails.

Shell xx

A week of homeness...

I've had people staying in my apartment in the city for ten nights, so no making beds or cleaning for me to earn my crust this last week.  Just sitting back a little in my chair and taking time to be at home...  Funny how with more time up my sleeve, I didn't get to this space to blog at all in that time!  

But I did get to use my camera to frame a few moments of this week of homeness...

Much sitting in my slippers, and watching my baby learn to crawl.

And taking time to make a study of my children's shoes by the door.  Which, oddly enough, fills my heart with joy, with hope, and then a bit of sadness that they might (will) grow up one day,

 and walk away,

 and leave their shoes by another door...

*sniff*

With a husband home for the week with me, we finally ripped out our tired old leaky kitchen sink and popped in a new one!  Made from inexpensive Ikea cupboards & doors, and a bespoke cyprus work top made completely by the hands of my clever friend.  A gorgeous tap purchased online, and a sink gifted to us by my most generous mother in law.  Love you mumma xx

At the weekend The Tullys played for scores of happy people at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra (photograph of soundcheck) until we all turned into pumpkins!

And Tara formed a band (with her cousins, and her Grandad!) on Sunday afternoon so that she could "sing like Mummy"!

So I'm thinking, it was a week made of win!  Of anticipation for a promising Spring,
of working hard,
of staying home and close,

to that and those, 

I love.

How was your week?

Shell xx

How well it is...

To be atop the hill!

above morning fog

feeling for myself

a clearing

of cerebral fog

inside

my mind...

Top of the day, also to you!

Shell xx

In song...

This afternoon, my dearest friend (who, in a rare move, has not been at work all weeeeeek!) and I, sang along at the top of our voices while building the bench top for our new kitchen sink (pictures to follow)...  And I just wanted to tell you how well it made my soul to sing, and play and work with wood alongside my most favourite-est husband ever!

Shell xx

the Promise of Spring...

In my baby's morning gazes,

In newly flowering, sweet smelling jonquils,

In blue skies,

 & oncoming blossoms,

In some really good news...

In the promise, 

no-

the certainty,

of new life.

Shell xx

A perfect birthday...

A croissant and lego sort of morning. 

A letter...

A Party.

(On an unseasonably warm winter's day).

A portrait.

Another.

A mob.

(Yes, these are all five of my children)!

A dinner.

And all in all,  a perfect eleventh birthday for my little wizard.

; )

Shell xx

a Brunchy Birthday...

Today, my Tara turned five.  Which brought occasion for brunch, much baking, nibbling and birthday laughter!  The theme was, as Tara named it "a flower party" and we all adorned ourselves with the floral theme (some of us went more overboard then others)!

And while it was the happiest of days - I couldn't help thinking as she blew out her candles, that she would never be four again, and now she is five - and further from being that baby I've been nurturing and raising.  

These days, and years are a lesson, and an inspiration to me on a daily basis.  I feel like if I can just always behave in a way that my children will look back at this time and say it was happy, we worked hard, we loved each other, and we had fun - then I'm doing okay. 

Happy Birthday, golden girl.

Shell xx