I read an article by Georgina Reid this morning; I probably read it when it was first published but it has resonated strongly with me today. In it, she reflects on why she resisted the terms ‘garden’ and ‘gardening’ but has now reclaimed them. She says: “I am a gardener. I can’t think of a […]
On Australia Day
I am a descendant of a First Fleet convict man and his convict wife, who arrived in the British colony in what is now Australia 13 years after him. I would not exist if they had not met here. The British had a history of colonising countries other than their own but this time they […]
On kindness
Many of my friends are interested enough in their exercise programs to count the distances they walk. Technology has aided them; I see regular updates, direct from their Fitbit activity trackers, on Facebook or Twitter. We all love aids that assist us to reach our goals, keep track of our progress, or record our productivity. […]
On hand piecing
The threaded needle gathers a row of running stitches that hold together two pieces of fabric. I stop and look more closely. The sharp needle point has pierced the fibres of the cotton cloth over and over as it makes its way along the sewing line. A simple, yet effective tool. I ease the thread […]
On grief
We all experience it in different ways and use varied methods to help us deal with it. Your grief is not my grief and mine is not yours. Mourning doesn’t become easier; it simply becomes a part of life. My father died late last year. I am his first-born and I adored him. He taught […]
On being patient
Finding your own pace can take a lifetime or, if you are lucky, you can discover at a young age the speed at which you want to live your life. I now realise that I always knew, deep inside, that I wanted a slow life. The common culture around me thought differently. It’s difficult to resist the […]
On being a homebody
I’ve always needed solitude. There’s nothing more soothing to me than simply being comfortable, maybe with a book or a hand sewing project to engage me. Even when I was growing up, I could spend hours alone on our front verandah, drawing clouds with creamy pastels, or in my bedroom, dreaming or reading. Nothing’s changed […]