Thinking of others

What a sad time for so many across the world right now. While we go on with our lives in our own little bubble we watch with horror the unspeakable and unbearable images of war from afar........

And here in our own country there are thousands affected by the worst flooding on record in both Queensland and New South Wales with warnings today that it could still get worse. I cannot begin to imagine the heartache of losing everything and images of people being rescued from rooftops and currents of mud and slush flowing through homes and businesses fills us with sadness. Even one of our own got caught up in it all and found herself sleeping in a carpark up high to get away from it all. While life goes on we can still be thinking of others and we send heartfelt thoughts and prayers to all that are suffering with the hope it is over soon......

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I've been feeling 'under the weather' myself these past few weeks as my health continues to annoy and frustrate me! I am still left with chronic fatigue - chemotherapy certainly knocks the body around and I am just not sure how long that will be. And I also developed a worrying rash over the original cancer site that turned out to be shingles and may explain why I have been feeling so lethargic! So lots of lazy days enjoying the back garden......

Even our budgie Topsie was feeling under the weather as he had been molting........

Today happens to be Triple Negative Breast Cancer day....well so I read online this morning! I feel fortunate that I didn't get this diagnosis much younger as that seems to be the norm with this type of breast cancer, so I am constantly thinking of others who I have met online that have lost their lives at such young ages. There is no treatment available if the cancer returns, unlike the more common hormone positive breast cancers where patients take hormone blockers for up to 5 years and have more options. But on a positive note there is much research being done including new immunotherapies to give some hope. I know I am not out of the woods yet and that is something that plays on my mind every day.......so Larry and I have decided we need to take the plunge and make some decisions for what is left of our lives. We have dreamed for some years now of moving to the country where we can 'slow down' and enjoy a small village community. That is on the horizon for us and we hope should happen by the end of the year....so for now I will dream about new garden designs and ideas........sorry if one of these images is your home that I captured without your permission but it comes with my admiration!........

We have had two special birthdays this past month...young Beau turned 10 and our first born turned 40! So we have had some fun with that - one day Wade helped to make chocolate crackles and decorate a cake and we had a small celebration for Beau with the kiddies followed by dinner where there happened to be a balloon artist........

We also had a quiet afternoon tea for Emily but she had a bigger celebration with her husband's family a week later. We didn't attend that as I was unwell (yet again!), and I was also waiting on a Covid swab result (!!), but I did manage to pick some flowers from the garden for Emily to place on the tables.......

Mother nature has entertained us in the garden these past weeks.........it never ceases to amaze us the wonder of the caterpillar to butterfly transformation and it seems to occur so fast......

 

Some other insects decided to set up home under the eaves of our house at the back garage door. They are the Australian Paper Wasp that people often confuse with the European wasp, so being less dangerous we decided to leave them alone. We did our research and read that they are beneficial to the environment and pollination, but then we read that they like to eat caterpillars so it explained why some of the tiny monarch butterfly caterpillars were disappearing. So we watched and waited for some weeks and then decided that the nest was getting too large so we had to move them on to greener pastures......

Our little charity group continues to think of others and I have just completed two more bright quilt tops ready for Faye to quilt......

Yesterday I was asked by Renaissance Tours if I could guide a group through Carrick Hill as  part of an Adelaide Hills Art Trail Tour. This was the first time I was back in that seat after two very long years, so the sun shone and the sky was the most vivid blue for the occasion.......

So while thinking of others I need to also think of what I've seen most recently on instagram in relation to William Morris..........WOW and WOW but they are all made in the UK so I will just have to swoon for now! First up are these reclaimed clocks from Chameleon Clocks and I so want one!!.........

And take a look at this stunning repurposed furniture and the maker is Michele with just one "L" like me!! You can find her site here: The Pheasant Plucker's Wife.......

Oh how indulgent to be dreaming of such things so I will close with the theme of thinking of others and pray for world peace and better weather x