BeautyScope 320: Summer baking

Summer is beating down

heavy and dry

burning us white hot

BeautyScope 280: Cup of light

delicate floral cup reaches

for the last of Summer's light

sip it gently

 

This little light ...

There is a light shining in our life...actually more than one!

Here are our Christmas candles in front of our antique chiming clock which fills our house with sublime music. These photos were taken with my new to me Canon 1200D. My first DSLR camera. A gift to myself for all the work I've done this year. It only has a kit lens and I'm still learning all the buttons, but it still takes better macro shots so I see some fun times ahead!

 

This year holds some pretty special potential as we have decided to continue homeschooling not just Mr Actor but Mr Artist is trying it out for first term as well. I'm really looking forward to the change in our life that not rushing back and forth to school will bring.

 

Mr Actor and I have been on the FODMAP diet for a few months now, and finding it very beneficial. So much so that he has gained back all the lost weight and is now workingh on muscle development...a chin-up is the current goal!

So we head away from the Sun as you head towards it after the Summer/Winter solstice. It's always a bittersweet moment for me, although the true heat is still to come.

I am focussing on the statement "It is what it is, and I am what I am" to help me accept my foibles and try not to control people and circumstances too much, thus exhausting myself.

I am trying to just accept and move on without too many head miles. Not something that comes naturally AT ALL!

I feel the need to focus on the shine in my sons and my family. Concentrate on the beauty that beams from them if I hone in on it. Suddenly difficulties fall away as I let go of perfection...perfection in schooling, in emotions, in outcomes, in behaviour. I focus on what is and accept that, knowing these things will work their way through in time without fussing from me.

My kids are extreeemely capable as all kids are if only I will trust them. Didn't they learn a difficult gymnastic trick like walking, and learning a whole language without much help from me?

I focus on the positive qualities and refuse to become negative and down in the dumps about perceived differences and disabilities. This is something parents I've met can get in a panic about, myself included. Why set our special kids up to be measured by an external standard which leaves them falling short and focussing on negativity and stress. Let's celebrate their specialness, their uniqueness and run with that.

I believe in them and their spark.

Wouldn't we all love others to do that to us?

I believe in your spark also.

Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

 

 

Christmas outfit

Just a quick glance at my Christmas outfit photographed so beautifully by Mr Actor on the bush track behind my sister's house in Sydney, where we had a gorgeous Christmas feast. Thanks Sis!

Evidence of recent bushfire.

I handstitched this dress to be a stage outfit but couldn't perform at the last minute, so decided to stage it at Christmas lunch!

Closeup of the silver sparkly fabric and the massive-costume-statement-can't-miss-it necklace!

(Most people said the fabric looked like chainmail)

It was a bit more tenty than I planned as the fabric stretches so much, but it was light and drapey enough to be cool in the heat. The sparkles lift it.

A fun outfit that had many positive comments! And we did enjoy our bush walk...to walk off the first course ready for desert!

Hope you are all nicely recovered from any overindulgence ;-)

'Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Linking up with I Will Wear What I Like because I do!

 

Hot date in Canberra

On a hot day in Canberra last weekend, Bushy and I ventured forth on a date.

I wore my antique linen finely stitched saggy bottom bloomers under a summer dress with a shirt for sun cover. And my magnificent Maori inspired bag. (Note the heat induced red cheeks!)

We decided to explore the lakefront near our house. This is part of the Arts Centre.

(Frame for the clouds?)

Walking a little further around the lake we discovered our destination for afternoon tea was closing.

Quell horreur!

We settled for the bar upstairs.

It ended up being a fun choice with some quirky decorating...right up my alley!

The sign outside...ummm?

Leather and wooden bench inspired by plastic milk crates.

Bushy sitting on the deck of the nameless bar waiting for a breeze.

This is what we could see...

I don't think we did too badly.

This lake is 15 minutes walk or 2 minutes drive from our place.

One of the reasons we stay in our little suburban house.

And yes the breeze did arrive eventually and it was most welcome!!

Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

Linking up with The Style Crone's Hat Attack. Come and see Judith dressed all warm and cosy in Black and Taupe.

 

Mad cyclist

We've been having some biking adventures lately. Getting these old legs working has NOT been easy!

Fortunately Mr Actor is working his way back to fitness as well, so our levels coincide somewhat.

However...I have never really ridden, while the boys and Bushy are expert riders. I bought this bike so I could learn and not be left behind by my family. It has sat in the garage forlornly for years, what with my own health issues lately.

But now it seems all the fates have aligned to allow us to pursue this dream. Yay!

My spirit is soaring and my legs are wobbly and aching!

Of course I had to buy a stylish bike, but unfortunately the tilt of the basket means when I go over a bump everything feels like it will bounce out.

Solution, make a basket liner!

Not just any liner, a super duper one that will take more than the basket will hold! Mr Artist is really impressed with this solution...as am I. It's working beautifully and made out of junk bits of fabric I had in the cupboard.

Winter is impressed, it even matches the car.

Here we are on our morning ride taking a break from the heat in this cool (in both senses) cave inside these bushes. Where is that breeze?

Do you like cycling?

'Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

Recycled Christmas

Christmas greetings...well almost. We have just finished school (homeschooling here we come!) and I seemed to be working toward the last day of school as my deadline, so I'm pretty much ready now! Although I'll probably live to eat my words :-)

I promised Beate I would put up a photo of our door wreath. Ta Da!

It is comprised of recycled bent coathanger and a few pretty offcuts of fabric from sewing adventures.

A friend gave me a bag to play with...I'm getting a reputation!

"Here, have my rubbish!" No, just joking.

And here is our recycled bed base garden sculpture tree. Also seen here last year.

Mr Actor is carefully adding the finishing touches while Smart Blue watches his serfs work...although momentarily distracted by potential invader birds at the bird bath and fountain. It's a constant battle, but warrior Smart Blue is up for the task!

Actually he is an indoor cat, but he still manages to bring live mice into our living room from his heroic hunting in his outdoor cage and in the roof. Yes, he prowls our roof space.

Bushy managed to get our "tree" to stand up. I gave up after a morning of struggle deciding I would never be patient enough to balance rocks on the sea shore!

We have also decorated our outside pine tree with the junky baubles, and it is nice to see the sparkle as we drive around the corner.

And gave Noddy our guard sculpture a Snoopy scarf!

Are you too embracing "tacky" this Christmas?

'Til next time, keep on creating,

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

DIY felted jumper/sweater

Once upon a time there was a soft harmless jumper, waiting quietly in a thrift shop.

Swooped up and scooped up it flew all the way to my house!

It looks cute enough I guess, but I'm not a fan of bunchy waist rib bands. So....

I removed them...all of them, and chucked it in the wash.

Ah, much more me, I can breathe and move...and dance!

'Til next time, keep on creating!

Love,

Jazzy Jack

 

Rise and Write - Heat (prose and poetry)

I've missed the relevant linkup for this, but I was inspired by Natalia's poem.

I've done a little exercise for those interested. Here I've turned a prose passage into a poem. Although normally I would just write the poem.

In fact I wrote the prose as an exercise to stretch myself and was so annoyed at all the extra words the poem itched to be written!

Which do you prefer?

Vacantly she stared at the shimmering horizon. " Heat for dinner again" she sighed, as her child turned inside her, shifting to a more comfortable position, as if he too was tired. "Pregnancy and Summer do not walk easily together. They seem to inflame and bring out the worst in each other." she thought.Slowly she turned back inside, screen door screeching and slapping as she enteredthe stuffy room beyond. "Oh my, what a drag this all is." "No, that won't do!"

Switching on the ceiling fan, and pulling some iced water from the fridge, she inhaled coolness. Taking a long gulp the water barely hitting the sides on the way down, she would have sworn her blood temperature dropped 5 degrees. "Ahhh, that's much better"! Her vision cleared, and she noticed the sparkles the sun made shining through the glass of water. The stirring air tinkled a wind chime as if ringing a lullaby to her unborn. And she smiled.

vacantly she stared

at the shimmering horizon

heat for dinner again

and she sighed

as her child turned within

as if searching

for more comfort

maybe he too was tired

pregnancy and summer

don't walk easily together

they seem to inflame

bring out the worst

she thought

as she turned through

the screeching screen door

into the stuffy room

switching on the ceiling fan

pouring a glass of iced water

she inhaled coolness

taking a long gulp

water barely hitting the sides

she swore her temp

dropped 5 degrees

ahhhh!

 

her vision cleared

she noticed sun sparkles

in the glass she held

the stirring air

tinkled a wind chime

ringing a lullaby

to her unborn child

and she smiled

 

Linking with Rise and Write

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why not leave a three word impression (poem) or a smiley if you enjoyed your visit? :-D

BeautyScope 200: Summer scorching

Two Hundred! Woo hoo!!

radiant red kangaroo paw

singed by

sizzling summer