My Dear Brother Scotty........Downs Syndrome

This morning I read an article on a waiter in New York who refused to serve a table of annoyed guests at the restaurant that he worked at.
Apparently the people had complained about a 5 year old Downs Syndrome boy (who was a regular at the restaurant) because he was making funny noises. The table making the complaints were quite rude and commented that 'special people needed special places to go to'.  The waiter aptly refused to serve these rude people and they left the restaurant.   *standing ovation to the waiter.

It reminded me of the time when my own brother Scotty who has Downs Syndrome, was also caught up in the harshness of reality.

Today I share this heart warming and also very funny story with you all.  It is sad as much as it is funny. My brother and also any Downs Syndrome people are not silly, they are in fact some of the most wonderful smart and beautiful people I know. They have such empathy and love for mankind and really have something special to teach the world.

                                 So here is my story :-)

Once upon a time there was a boy named Scott.....

He was 2nd born child to a loving Mother and Father and a big sister who was only 12 months older than him.
Scotty was full of life and energy and without a doubt did not let you rest for even a minute !
His Mother and Father were always retrieving balls from over fences and cleaning up spills around the house. When the toy box lid opened, it was chaos !   Toys turned up in very strange places.   Scotty left a trail of destruction wherever he went.

But his sweet smile, big blue eyes and gorgeous blonde hair could win your heart over in just a second.  He really was a gorgeous boy.  The mischief only made him cuter.  His giggle was contagious BUT NOT HIS DISABILITY. 

Scotty became very used to snide remarks from nasty people who thought that he should have belonged in a children's home and not living in the warm, loving confides of his family home.
He became very used to the stares and looks of fright that greeted him on a daily basis from others.  Yes very sad but true. This was the 70's and the world was a very different place back then.
Unfortunately some of these nasty people came to live quite close to our home, so Scotty was then forced to live with this nastiness on an almost daily basis very close to his own home.  There were many children in the street and therefore many birthday parties. 

Scotty was never on those birthday guest lists.

                                 HE WAS DIFFERENT 

Scotty's Mother remembers with sadness in her heart of the day the neighbour across the street held a birthday party in honour of her son and every child in the street was invited.....except for Scotty.

As guests arrived at the party with gifts and excited faces, Scotty stood at the front window behind the curtains and cried because he wanted to go to the party too.

How could adults.........and children let heartbreak like this occur ?
Might I add that the child who was the birthday boy was a regular playmate of Scotty's

Some neighbours were often unkind to Scotty.
Unkind words were spoken and looks of hate were a regular occurrence. Their dislike for Scotty was very obvious. One neighbour in particular, lived next door.

Scotty moved forward in his life, living every day with vigour and confidence.  He said nothing about the remarks or nastiness that greeted him each day. He ploughed on with a smile and a spring in his step.

but the day for retribution was close.....

Scotty was playing out in the front garden, his Mother was hanging clothes on the line had no idea that he had snuck out the front.
Who knew what Scotty would do next ?  
Nobody saw it coming at all ! 
Nobody saw the day that Scotty claimed his win on society.
But his victory was indeed sweet.

THIS SAME FINE SUNNY DAY, the neighbours next door purchased a brand new car.  They drove it into the driveway and parked their new possession in pride of place for all to see. The windows were down and it shone and sparkled in the sunshine. These were the same neighbours who were unkind to Scotty.

Scotty was playing with the hose.  He loved water and snapped up any opportunity to play with it or in it ! lol

He too saw the new car parked in the driveway. He saw the glimmer of the paint and the pretty interior.
He walked closer to the new car for a better look AND HE TOOK THE HOSE ALONG WITH HIM.
He pointed the nozzle of the hose at the car and into the window and filled it up with water !

Now there is a possibility that Scotty may have thought that he was washing the car. It is probably very likely.
But I like to think that Scotty was getting retribution !

The neighbours were of course horrified at what Scotty had done.  I can't say I blame them really. BUT if you look at the turn of events that led to this 'crime' then I am sure that you will smile in delight just as I am here today sitting here writing this story.
Scotty was properly sent inside and to his bedroom and chastised with a good talking too by our Mother.  
The neighbours rolled their eyes and complained and began the big car cleanup.

I just wished that the neighbours could hear the roar of laughter today when I tell this story.
I wonder if over time they have ever gotten used to people with disabilities living in the community ?
I'm not at all sure ?
I am sure though, that Scotty's actions would have stayed with them for a lifetime and reminded them of him being next door all of those years ago. I am sure it has hung in the back of their minds ever since that day, as a constant reminder. I wonder if it ever occurs to them that their ignorance and nastiness was returned to them that fine, sunny day when Scotty played with the hose ?

I would love to think that it did.

I wonder if the people who threw the birthday party ever think of Scotty. I wonder if they remember hearing his cries and seeing the tears streaming down his face all of those years ago when they invited everybody else to the birthday party but him ?

I hope that they do.

BUT I only wish these things with kindness not loathing. I simply wish with all of my heart that Scotty has taught these people a lesson in humanity. 
These people were unkind because they knew no better.  Things WERE different back in those days.

My parents generation were the new generation of loving parents who stood by their disabled children and filled their lives and hearts with untold love. They were the generation of parents and siblings that paved the way to enlightenment of people all across the world educating them on how beautiful these children were. 
Yes it was a very hard time, it was certainly very trying on one's soul, BUT THEY DID IT WITH LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS.

I am very proud of my parents and their strength of spirit in raising Scotty.  It was hard but every piece of that hardship doubled with the amount of laughter that came with too.  Scotty is a grown man now and works at a job and still lives at home with my parents. He is very well traveled and has been to some amazing places that a lot of people will never see.
His love for the human race is wonderful and he often greets strangers with a smile and a happy 'hello'.  He then turns to one of us and says 'I know him, he's my friend' (even though he doesn't even know them !)  His smile is infectious and although sometimes people don't say hello back to him, I bet he has still changed their day and possibly their thoughts for the better.

Scotty you are somebody who taught me about the human race from a very early age. You were always so much fun to get into mischief with when we were little and I wouldn't trade you for anything in  the world.  May you continue to show people your beautiful heart and encourage the world to grow.
I love you as big as the sky xoxo

How Much Stuff Do We Really Need ?

                                                  

Who would have thought that a single peg could make one person think so much.

                                   But it did !

Many years ago now I  was at a yard sale. I was scouring over a big table of dolls that the lady was selling. She was avid collector of dolls and antiques and she had some really interesting things for sale.  I picked up one really old doll and when I did,this tiny little peg doll came to my attention.

She was the smallest thing on the table but somehow she screamed at me to pick her up.

I don't know exactly what was about her that caught my eye that day,  but she actually led me to a very valuable life lesson.

This humble peg doll had been made around war time when money was scarce and toys were a forgotten luxury.  More than likely,a mother made this little dolly for her daughter to play with.

Her tiny clothes have been made with scraps of really strong linen cotton. I guess that's how she has lasted as long as she has. There is a little cross painted on the front of her dress suggesting that she is a little nurse.

'Peg' as I lovingly call her got me thinking from the moment I locked eyes on her.

She made me think about life during those times of war when everyday possessions were scarce.  People used their creativity to make do with what they had.  People used their idle time  for handcrafts.  They would make  clothes, embroider on old scraps of a sheet or crochet a hanky for a special occasion.

Birthdays for children consisted of a birthday cake (if they were lucky) and a new pair of socks or a new  Sunday shirt.  There was no sign of an expensive electronic game or televisions.  Appreciation came with gusto because one had to work so hard to eat let alone buy expensive gifts.

Miss 'Peg' was one of those creative things that people made, to entertain their children.  I think she is a cutie and a wonderful way that people showed nurses in war times. The nurses worked so hard to care for the sick and injured. They showed compassion and kindness and were well respected.

'Peg' may have even been the lady in residence in little wooden home made dollhouse.  I'm sure if she could talk then she would certainly have a tale to tell. Tales of yester year.

'Peg' woke me up all of those years ago to how much 'stuff' do we really need to sustain a happy healthy life.

and you know what ?

I really don't think that we 'need' to have so many extra things in our homes. Is it really necessary to have more than one bathroom in a house ?  Have we as a world become so completely obsessed with 'stuff' that we have lost sight of our purpose.

Yes I think so !

Of course I included have been led to thinking that a bigger house will be better for raising our children. Maybe a home 5 minutes closer to the beach will give us insane amounts of happiness ?

                                                                       REALLY ?

Maybe a more modern car or the latest fashion item will bring that happiness ? 

                                                        DO YOU REALLY THINK SO ?

I think back to the 1920's where my Grandmother and Grandfather were raising a young family, trying very hard to make ends meet during pre and post war times and yet as tight as they were for money for themselves, they had Aunties , Uncles and even neighbours living in their small 3 bedroom home by the beach.   YES THE BEACH !  The beach was a very cheap location many years ago. The land by the sea was reserved for the less wealthy people. These people were the true working class people who helped to put our country on the map.

Even when times were tough, these people opened their homes to others and gave them a much needed place to stay and a meal in their stomachs.  Bodies slept in all sorts of places. The back veranda/porch, a couch, a makeshift daybed that would serve in the daylight hours as a place to sit.

Those old cane daybeds that are often seen at antique stores or flea markets had very humble beginnings. They were bought cheaply to not look pretty but to serve a very real purpose.

Today we buy them to decorate a room or veranda. We buy pretty scatter cushions to decorate them with where as once upon a time people used whatever scraps they could find to make cushions for these same daybeds.

It makes you think doesn't it ?   How much 'STUFF' do we really need to live a happy life.

Shouldn't we be more focused on being happy with the simple things in life ?

Every time I walk down the street and see people walking past on their phones drinking coffee I wonder how on earth the human race became this way. Once upon a time we would sit and enjoy a cup of coffee at home and make a phone call in privacy.

I can't help but feel that we are very quickly losing sight of enjoying simple things that life has to offer. We rush from place to place thinking that we need to finish tasks before the end of the day when really we have to ask is it truly necessary ?

SO BACK TO PEG.......

Thank you so much Peg for keeping it real for me and reminding me to slow down, smell the roses and appreciate what is already lying right in front of me today.  I will be forever grateful to you for giving me this gift.   Times have certainly changed and we definitely have to keep up with the times BUT we must enjoy what is really important right now rather then what else we can do to improve our happiness.

'STUFF' isn't the key to happiness. But you know what is ?

LOVE, HONESTY, KINDNESS, BEING HUMBLE, HEALTHY   AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE.

Tomorrow I will be bringing you all my first THURSDAY FLOWERS post for the year. I hope that you will pop back then to see what I have made this week at floristry school !  

The Forgotten Lady

Come and sit down.

I have something to tell you.

Once upon a time, there was an old lady.

She was just your run of the mill old lady who kept to herself. She kept a large brood of animals that she adored and kept her company. She had 6 dogs, 6 cats, a rabbit, Cockatoo and chickens.

She lived alone in a tumble down house in a quite street where everybody kept to themselves.

Each day, this woman would walk half an hour to the local store pushing an old discarded baby pram that she had found on somebody's scrap heap. It was as worn and old as she was, but faithfully every day it served her purpose. Not only would it be a place to carry her groceries without breaking her back, but it would support her weary frame.

She would fill her pram with food for her animals and herself, that she bought from the store. Then she would push the pram the half an hour distance back home again.

She would do this in wind, rain or the harsh Summer sun.

Exhausting yes.....but she had to do it to feed her brood.

The woman wore an old red coat.

She wore this red coat every day of the year regardless of the temperature. It was covered in stains and was two sizes too big for her. Passers by would stare and hold their noses because she was a little on the smelly side. She spoke with a gruff voice and one would say that she may not have much of an education. 

She did however ALWAYS nod her head, make eye contact and say hello.

If a passer by was kind enough to stop and chat, then the poor old thing would happily stand and tell them all about her animals.

To do this made her incredibly happy.

The weary old steps that approached the passer by. would walk away with a little more spring in their step afterwards.

It goes to show you that the smallest act of kindness can life anyone's spirits, even on the dreariest of days.

One fine day, the old lady passed by a house.

Inside the house lived a woman who had been watching this lady for many years. This woman always made time to say a cheery hello to the old lady if she could. She had long known how weary and old this lady was growing. Her steps were getting slower each and every day and she knew that one day she would no longer see this poor old lady pass her house again.  She feared that day was not far away.

The woman was out in her garden watering her freshly planted seedlings.

She was dreaming of the pretty blooms that would soon pop up and brighten her garden and make her smile. She really looked forward to that day. She opened her front gate and tugged the hose out onto the footpath to water the lawn.

As she did, she saw the old lady turn the corner and walk towards her.

The woman turned the nozzle to her hose off and waited for the old lady to pass so she wouldn't wet her.

The old lady walked slowly and quietly. Each step showed great strain on her face. Her old bones were creaking and groaning and she wanted desperately to get home so that she could sit down.

She noticed the woman with the hose waiting to greet her. Silently she lifted her head to greet her.

The woman with the hose asked her how her walk had been. She asked about her animals and spoke of the weather. Then with caution, the woman with the hose asked her if her family were around to help her with her groceries. Maybe there was a kind neighbour even to help.

With eyes that were so incredibly sad, the old lady replied that she had family but she didn't see them very often. As for her neighbour, she was elderly too and had been in hospital. In fact she didn't know if she was even still alive.

The woman with the hose just stood there.  She wanted to wrap the old lady up in her arms and take her home herself. She wanted to make her a cup of tea and clean her house and wash her old red coat. She wanted to do everything that this old lady's family were not doing for her.

How on earth could this old lady be so forgotten ?

If she had a family, she had obviously raised her children and cared for them .

Why weren't they there to do the same for her ? 

The old lady would generally stay and chat for a while. Today however she mentioned that she was feeling unwell. She mentioned that she really wanted to get home and go to bed.

As slowly and she had arrived she turned and walked away.

She walked across the road with her trusty baby's pram filled with food for her animals and disappeared out turned the corner out of sight.

The woman with the hose turned and walked through her gate. She turned off the hose and walked inside her home.  She made herself a cup of tea and sat down deep in thought.

Loneliness was a feeling that too many people on this earth felt. It was a sensation that left the holder with an empty heart. There are millions of people alive on this planet so how can so many people be so lonely and unloved ? 

Is it the rushed busy world that we live in and the people in it who contribute to this loneliness, or is it circumstance. Maybe the old lady's family lived interstate. Maybe it was her choice to not move to be near them. I guess it was a question that she would never know the answer to. It made her frown on the inside though and it made her heart ache.

The old lady finally reached home. She took off her coat, fed her animals and went to bed.

She had an empty heart when it came to her family but the love that she received from her animals kept her going. She knew that they were alive because of her. She found joy in caring for them and she felt needed.

Being needed made her world turn

and being needed gave her love in return.

Her animals were all she had in this world and she was all that they had.

and so the world continues to turn.........

Something to think about

x

A Cup Of Blessings.......Once Upon A Time

                         A Cup Of Blessing

I found this sweet little book on a recent Antiquing Saturday session.
The pretty Cornishware blue caught my eye and when I saw the title....YES....it just jumped into my basket.

A day or so later after a busy weekend where my cup had been full to the brim of things to do and places to go, I finally had time to read through the pretty pages of this pretty little book.

I curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea and in lovely silence I poured through it's pages.
It is a sweet little diary of days with little psalms written under each date.  The owner of this book has written important dates and birthdays through it's pages. The penmanship is so neat and tidy and it has clearly been written with ink and quill. The names mentioned on the pages had long ceased to live on this earth and so had the owner of the book. There is a stillness and peacefulness about the book. Time had been spent on it, it had been treasured. There is no sign of a hurried, rushed hand, instead it is full of love and stories of life that once lived...........precious lives that were once upon a time treasured.
IT GOT ME THINKING.......and when that happens, my mind wanders off on it's own merry little way..........

Once upon a time, there was a young mother........

She was always running to and from places. There were so many things to do and so many people to take care of. The young mother somehow felt as though she had to fix so many others problems and be there to be a support and offer her ear.
This young mothers plate was well and truly full to the brim and yet she still found herself saying 'yes' when in fact her head was silently calling out 'NOOO' !
There was a silent longing inside of her that found genuine happiness in lending a hand and helping out others  less fortunate than herself.  She justified it constantly to herself and to others who constantly tutted her for being this way.

The young mother seemed to almost attract others and their problems. She would smile to herself constantly about this and wonder how on earth they found her. Was it her good nature ? was it her kindness or inability to say no ?  Or worse.....Did she have an invisible word that blinked in BIG flashing fluorescent lights that said ' Yes I will help you'.    She wasn't quite sure which one it was, but all the same it seemed almost humorous.

One day she had been for an early morning swim in the ocean and found herself taking a different route home. The car seemed to just turn off at an unusual spot. Granted, her mind had been thinking of other things as she drove along but she really hadn't meant to turn off the main road so late.
She headed down a quiet road and made a right turn through the busy traffic. IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT THAT SHE SAW IT ! 

An old frail woman had collapsed at that very moment on to the footpath. One by one her shopping bags fell to the ground and the contents began to filter out onto the grass around her.
There were cars driving past hurriedly to get to work, or to take children to school.

IN THEIR RUSH they failed to TAKE NOTICE.

The old woman held her hand to her heart and her face turned pale.

The young mother saw the old woman's plight. She tried desperately to cross the two lanes of traffic to pull over but the traffic carried her away instead.  At the next chance she had, she quickly turned off the main road and looped around through the backstreets. Surely by now another motorist would have stopped to help her, but she had better check anyway.

In a short time the young mother found herself on the main road and pulling over to where the old woman was now lying. NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON HAD STOPPED THEIR CAR TO HELP HER!
In absolute amazement the young mother rushed to the woman's side to see how she was. Quickly she called 000 for the ambulance.

The old woman was ashen. Her brow was sweating and she had gone limp down one side of her body.
The sun was beating down on her and making her feel even worse.

STILL NOT ONE OTHER CAR STOPPED TO HELP !

The young mother knew that she had to get this old woman out of the sun or she would faint, so somehow she managed  to get the old woman into the back seat of her car and into the shade.   It was a big effort but she had done it !
The old woman laid down on the cool seat of the car and took a sip of water that the mother offered her.  The old woman spoke a foreign language but it didn't seem to matter. Words were not needed at this time. The language of love was spoken. The language of humanity and of helping of others.....even strangers.    The old woman took the mothers hand in hers and muttered something illegible. Her words may have been confusing, but her eyes spoke volumes. They spoke of thankfulness and gratefulness for stopping by to help. 

The old woman held her withered old hand towards the young mothers chest and pointed to a the antique silver cross that hung around her neck.  The woman pointed up to the sky and muttered 'angel come'  and pointed to the young mother.

A few moments later the blazing sirens of the ambulance approaching was heard.  Before another word was spoken the paramedics had arrived and were gently carrying the old woman from the car and out onto a stretcher. There were no goodbyes or waves but there were certainly good thoughts.

Two strangers had met on the side of a busy road. One needed help and the other was only too happy to give it.

The young mother thought to herself 'Yes, well it has happened again, I was at the right time, at the right place and I was required to help another person'.
She laughed to herself and at the same time she looked towards the sky. She gave silent thanks to her feathered angel friends who were up sitting on the clouds in heaven. She gave thanks for them taking her a different way home that day. She gave thanks that help had arrived and most importantly she asked the angels to now fly down and take care of this old soul who needed some help. 

The young mother drove home and made herself a cup of tea. She thought back to the morning's events and thought how some things were just meant to be. Somehow she was meant to take that particular route home that day. Whispers from heaven had been blown down in the winds and had silently led the mother to this place of need.  It seemed completely absurd that not another human being had slowed down to see this old lady and her plight.
It made her realise that sometimes in life when everything is going at a 100 miles an hour, that one must STOP.....or at the very least SLOWDOWN to smell the roses. Life is a precious gift of time. Time that needs to be well spent and thought about. It is to be cherished and enjoyed.  Every last little second is so very special.

So SLOWDOWN.......put life into a slow gear. Open your eyes to what precious things are around you, but most importantly remember to breathe.  There are precious angelic beings out walking around in our world. They have been sent here to be Gods silent helpers. They are out walking past us every single day and we don't realise it.  They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us may even be lucky enough to meet one someday, others will be helped by one.  But it is important to know that ANGELS WALK AMONGST US  and they hear our cries of help. If they can't help us personally then they will send somebody else who can.

So next time you see a person in need.......slow down........take stock and listen carefully.  If a silent yearning or need to help fills your soul with love , then reach out, take a hand and give a little of your heart.

and one thing will be certain.......the angels will smile.

Childhood Memories Come Flooding Back

Once upon a time there was a little girl.
She had hair of gold, brown wide eyes and a very active imagination.

She stood at the school canteen waiting for her turn to arrive.  She stood silently with her little green leather purse in her hand counting her coins to see what little treat she would buy.  Often it would be a lemonade icy pole, but one thing for certain she always kept a few cents aside for later.
One of her most favourite things to do at school happened every afternoon after playtime.  She would count down the time until she could rush back to her seat in class and wait for the treasured moment to arrive.

When she saw the lunchtime duty teacher reach for the bell, she would feel the excitement building in her tummy (as it does for a 4 year old).

She would often be the first in her seat and would wait quietly with arms folded for the lady from the school office to pay her visit.

Class would start and pencils would be raised.  All the time the little girl would wait.....
click click click came the heels of the office lady.

The little girl smiled to herself and crossed her fingers that she would go first because she was sitting so nicely.

The office lady would gently knock on the classroom door and scan the room for the 'best child'.
In her hand she held the magical moneybox.  Yes, it WAS magical to the little girl........she TRULY believed that it was.
The lady would ask the children in the class who had a few cents for Sambo. These precious cents were saved up and sent to the poor children in Africa who needed food. 

When it came to being her turn, the little girl would smile from ear to ear. Slowly....savouring every moment, she would put her few cents one by one onto the hand of Sambo. Then, ever so carefully she would push the leaver at the back down and Sambo's little hand would spring up to his mouth and he would eat the coins.

'How absolutely marvellous' this was to the little girl ! She would hear the coins drop one by one into the iron tummy of Sambo.  Each and every coin represented more food that these children needed over in Africa.  The little girl would feel so happy that she had saved her coins to help somebody. She felt so happy at the thought.

Then.....for the rest of the afternoon she would sit happily at her little desk and daydream about these children overseas that she so wished that she could be friends with.........

                                                  The End

Of course the little girl was me.  I adored this 'Sambo' moneybox.  The love and generosity that was sent over to Africa has stayed with me for life.  Giving with joy begins at such a young age with little ones. It should be embraced and encouraged. If little hearts are opened at an early age then I truly do believe that the world would be a better place.

The days of golliwogs and black figurines are now politically incorrect, but to me,  Sambo represents kindness and giving to others. I see no colour or race, I see a gift. The gift of giving 

This Sambo is one of the originals. I was recently lucky enough to reach into a box of hidden treasures at a relatives house recently and who should I pull out.......Sambo  ! A squeal of delight came out of my mouth and I quickly relayed my story to my relative.  She insisted on me keeping him and I couldn't resist. 
I look at him now here sitting beside me and I feel like the 4 year old child is still within me.

So many people who have visited our home all comment on him and share their own stories of 'Sambo' who visited their classrooms. This little man is a legend.

Once upon a time ......HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY !

                   Happy Australia Day !

Today I salute my amazing country French Blue and Peachy Pink style. I share with you these two images of one of my favourite parts of Australia........The Great Barrier Reef. 

and I will share with you this very funny story.

Once upon a time there was a young bride.  She had been married only a few days and was on her honeymoon with her new husband.
They had chosen to holiday in the warm surrounds of a beautiful Island resort which lies in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
She and her husband sat on a beautiful beach enjoying cocktails and relaxing in the sun and like most newly weds, were very happy.
One fine day they decided to take an adventure and go snorkeling on the reef to see the pretty corals and marine life.

They arrived at the wharf where the boat would take them on the two hour journey to the edge of the reef.  The young bride was super excited to be taking this adventure as it had been something that she had wanted to do her whole life.

The newly married husband was a lover of the sea and had his sea legs from the time he stepped foot on the boat.

The new bride however had begun to feel squirmy in her stomach the moment she sat down to enjoy the journey.

So off the boat sailed.......through the calm waters of the bay and eventually to the wide open body of ocean that would lead them to the edge of the reef where they would snorkel.

The young bride looked out at the water, her face as green as the sea in which she sailed upon.  Her lovely adventure was feeling more like torture.  The beautiful seafood banquet that was being prepared on the lower deck was not helping the situation. Smells of rich sauce and lobster cooking was making her stomach turn.
She wanted to click her heels and be back on dry land again.

After a very long 2 hours the boat arrived at the reef.  After much coaxing, her husband and the crew encouraged the young bride to hop off the boat and into the water. They promised her that she would feel so much better when she was in the water.

SO the young bride popped her swimmers on, a pair of flippers and her goggles and sat on the edge of the boat. 
Thinking somehow that magically the boat was on the very edge of the reef and she would be swimming in only in water a couple of metres deep she enthusiasticallyly jumped right on in. SPLASH !  The water was cold and it woke her up to the very inch of her soul !
In seconds she realised that she needed to swim in very deep ocean for quite a few minutes before reaching the reef.   Scenes of the movie JAWS raced through her head.......oh my goodness she had never swam so fast in her entire life ! 

Heart racing and breathing heavily because of her faster than the speed of sound swimming she finally reached the reef.

and it was one of the most beautiful sites that she ever seen !

As if by magic, her queasy stomach had been replaced with feelings of pure amazement in the scene that lay before her.
Beautiful bright blue and yellow tropical fish swam with her side by side. Tiny bubbles of air catapulted her into a state of wonderment.  She had surely caught a glimpse of heaven.

Happily she floated along with her new found fish friends who seemed to be just as curious and happy to swim with her.
This place was magical ! 

Soon it was time to once again board the boat for the journey back to the Island.  There was to be a beautiful seafood banquet to be served and champagne to be sipped.

The young bride wasn't feeling up to eating very much at all due to her 'not so good sea legs'.  But the thoughts in her head of the magical world she had just visited would be enough to keep her mesmerised for the remainder of her journey.

She sat on the top deck of the boat while the others ate.  She felt the wind in her hair and the salt spray in her mouth and reflected on how truly lucky she was to live in such a beautiful country.  There was the sunshine, the vast bushland and the beautiful coastal communities.  People were warm and friendly and were only too happy to help their fellow Aussie neighbours.
They welcomed migrants from faraway lands and embraced the cultural diversity.  There was no war, there was freedom of speech and there was always a cheerful greeting from a stranger when you walked down the street.  It was the Land Down Under and one that many held in their hearts as a treasure.

It was a beautiful day for this young woman and one that she would always remember.

After all this was what being Australian was always about.

                           HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY !

This little wonder of nature lies in the Great Barrier Reef in the waters of Australia.  It is a little piece of love that mother nature shared with us all to remind us all of how blessed we are to live in this beautiful country.

Happy Australia Day

Making A Dream Come True

Shhhhh......be very quiet

Can you hear my angel ?  She is flapping her wings with excitement !    She is excited because I listened to my heart.  I have put myself first for a change..........and I am following my dreams.

                          Hello friends !

GUESS WHAT ??   I have an update for you all on the wonderful 'Imagine the Possibilities' challenge that my friends Andrea from the COTTAGE MARKET and Karianne from THISTLEWOOD FARM were offering their readers.

They challenged their blog friends to challenge themselves and begin and complete a project that really needed to be done but perhaps they had dwelled on and never quite gotten around to. It could be a craft project or learning a new skill......anything at all.

Anyway......this challenge came at the same time as I was contemplating doing something exciting for myself. Something that I had been talking about doing for almost forever but had always put on the back burner because of something or other. 

So this is my story..........

Once upon a time when I was a little girl I used to watch my Grandparents lovingly nurture and tend their garden. When we paid them a visit, my Grandmother would take me out into her garden and tell me the names of all of her flowers. I would stand beside her, all ears, absorbing all of the information.  Sometimes she would pick me a little posy to take home to put in a little vase in my bedroom.  Pansies were always my very favourite. I loved the pinks and purples and their velvety petals.  Snapdragons were my next favourite because she taught me the little trick of holding them in a particular way to make the little flowers open and close their tiny mouths. I thought this was soooo magical.  I so wanted a little fairy to spring out of the petals !

On the other side of my family, my other Grandmother didn't keep a garden. She lived too close to the beach and the salt spray would kill any little plant that she wanted to grow. Her sister however, (my great aunt) whom I adored lived further away from the beach in a tiny ground floor apartment. She kept a small garden but it was tended with such love and devotion that  you would think it was in a botanical garden. Bright red, pink, yellow and peachy coloured roses bloomed merrily away in this little patch of love. My old Aunt cherished every single one of those roses and I know just how excited she was to carefully snip a bloom or two and share them with somebody special.

Every Sunday afternoon my Grandmother would visit her dear sister (my Great Aunt) and spend time chatting and drinking tea.   When it was time to leave, very rarely did my Grandmother leave my Aunts home without a bunch of roses destined for me.
My Aunt would choose the prettiest of blooms with the sweetest of fragrances for me. I was 7 years old and will never forget the love that was sent to me in those roses. My beautiful Aunt lived well into her 90's and I know a big part of her living to be such a ripe old age was because of her connection to her garden.  She so cherished every moment that she spent in it.

SO all of these years later......

I find myself with this nagging thought right in the back of my brain . It  often comes when I dig in my garden, it comes when I pass a beautiful florist shop and stop to admire the flowers.  Most of all it comes when I sit alone wondering what I will ever do with myself when my children are all grown up. 
As you all know I have great passion for flowers and you often find me snipping rose blooms from my garden and making pretty displays to brighten up our home.


My angel has been listening patiently for all of these years. She has listened to my inner voice and has silently been sending me signs that it is time to indeed......search out and live my dream.

So this week I decided to make my angel smile and my heart sing.  I filled out all of the particular forms and enrolled into a course of Floristry. I begin very soon and I am bursting with excitement.
I will be sure to share my journey of discovery of this new path that I am undertaking.  I cannot wait to learn about these pretty little offerings from above that bring the world so much pleasure.


Most of all, I am living out one of my dreams, I am not leaving this dream in the back of my heart. Dreams deserve to be lived and each and everyone of us have it inside us to make these dreams come true.  
                                           

DREAMS ARE FREE........but it takes our hearts and minds to turn them into reality  xo

An Angel Is Pushing Me To New Places......

For many years now I have suspected that an angel is following me........

Many years ago I embarked on a journey of self discovery. I studied natural therapies, read many knowledgeable books on the inner self and worked in an amazing bookstore which held so much knowledge that I soaked it up like a sponge. 
One day I took a course with a woman who had worked with American Native Indians.  She spoke of their wisdom, their ways and their love of the Earth. 

A wise old Indian had shared a story with this woman and she in turn had passed the story on to many other folk.
I have mentioned this story on earlier posts but for those newcomers I shall speak of it again.  The Indian said that when feathers appear on your path, Spirit/God is sending you messages of love and letting you know that he is with you.

Since the time that this woman shared her story with me I began to see feathers. Maybe they were there all along and I didn't see them. Maybe it was a coincidence, I don't know, but from that day on when important decisions needed to be made and I wasn't sure, a feather would appear.

Many a time feathers would float ever so softly down from the sky and land at my feet. Other times I would be driving along in my car and one would land on the windscreen.  One day I was particularly upset about something that was going on in my life, I was walking out of my back door of my home to hang washing on the clothesline and a feather floated down from the sky and landed in the palm of my hand as I stood there holding the basket.
With a silent thank you and a single tear I just knew that I wasn't alone.

This feeling of an angel being close has been with me for so long now that I almost take these feathers for granted.  I know I shouldn't, but I guess that the comfort is there within my heart and I have absorbed the feeling of warmth.
It's on dark days.........those rotten days that creep up on the best of us,  that those soft feathers often appear.

So it came as no surprise when recently I decided to challenge myself and take upon a new course of learning.

and a pure white feather appeared on my path........

 It is a course that I have wanted to take forever but as any mother in the world often does, we put ourselves last on the list and put off doing the things in life that we would just love to do.

After weeks of soul searching wondering how the hours of the course would affect my family I had almost decided that it would all be too hard and that maybe a few more years down the track, timing would be much better.  So many 'What ifs and 'How on earths' crossed my mind.  
If I must be honest then I will tell you all that I am still undecided about it all, but my angel certainly seems to be doing her best to push me into the direction of this wonderful course.

A recent walk down the beach with myself, found me looking down at the incoming wave at my feet and what should I see.......

In walks my angel once again.......

For she has been listening to the plight that is happening inside of my head.

AND THEN IT CAME......

This morning I made myself a cup of tea, sat down at my computer and began to read some of the beautiful blogs that I follow.
Thistlewood Farm and A Cottage Market were offering a challenge to their readers.  They were challenging us all to 'IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES' and tackle your most daunting projects.

MY HEART DID A LITTLE PITTER PAT !..........could it be that sweet angel of mine again ?  My contemplating for weeks on end shifted slightly. 

At first I thought of my garage. I thought I could choose one of the many pieces of stored furniture that I am 'going to one day restore' to be this Project that they spoke of.  I thought about which piece of furniture I would choose and even wondered about going out straight away to buy a can of pretty pink paint.

I wanted to write on my friends pages what my decision would be but continued to ponder for most of today. WHAT WOULD I DECIDE ?

After much deliberation I realised that the biggest challenge that I truly longed for was what my heart was desiring. My sweet angel had woven a white feathery chain of love around my heart strings and was ever so gently encouraging me to follow her lead.

I realised that just somehow things would work out and it would be possible to pursuit my dream.  The dream that I had held within my heart for as long as I could ever remember. It was my dream that was so close now that I could almost hold it in the palm of my hand.

SO without further hesitation I will be enrolling in this wonderful course that will open many fragrant doors for me. It will allow me to create without hesitation. It will make my heart happy, it will challenge my mind.  I am simply bursting to begin the learning and have so many ideas brimming inside of my head.

It is a very desirable course so I will be competing with many others to get in. I have my fingers, toes and eyes crossed (lol) that I will get in.

But in the back of my mind I know that there is a silent friend who walks beside me every single day of my life who will be silently making things happen so that my dream may come true.......

Thank you my angel

I will be sure to let you know if I was successful in my application.
Cross your fingers for me dear friends.
A very BIG thank you to my lovely friends mentioned below for that last bit of a push that I needed.

Andrea from A Cottage Market
http://www.thecottagemarket.com/
                   and
Karianne from Thistlewood Farm    http://thistlewoodfarm.wordpress.com/about/

Take a look at these lovely ladies blogs to see their beautiful homes and creative spirit and maybe you may want to join in on their challenge as well.
 xoxo

A Christmas Story

It was the night before Christmas...

The little girl had been celebrating Christmas with her extended family at her Grandmothers house. The whole family had come together to meet and they always had a great time.

It was a large family and there were lots of children, so there was no shortage of cousins to play with.

The Grandmother stood at her gas stove baking pies and chickens and saucepans full of vegetables happily boiled and bubbled away on the stove.  Grandma would make her own yummy home made gravy and the little girl would dunk a big chunk of bread in it and sop it all up and eat it.  Memories of her Grandmothers kitchen always made her smile.

Before everyone had arrived for the celebration, the little girl and her Grandmother would have spent hours making meat pies and with the left over scraps of pastry the little girl was allowed to make tiny little jam tarts. She would spoon oversized ammounts of sticky, strawberry or blackberry jam onto the pastry and then all by herself....and being very careful not to burn her fingers she would be allowed to put her little creations into the oven.

The little girl loved these family events. She loved to play with her two girl cousins in particular.  They were almost the same age and they loved to play with their dolls and chat about what Santa would bring them for Christmas.

The little girls would sit on a small balcony on the side of their Grandmother's home and drop their little legs over the side. They would happily chatter and laugh and pretend they were on a boat and if their feet touched the ground then the shark in the water would gobble their toes. They would almost believe their own story. They would dare each other to be the first one to touch the ground and then they would all laugh their heads off in delight. 

These very good times !

Inside the house, the adults would sit and talk. The Aunties would all be in the kitchen chattering away. There would periodically be squeals of laughter coming out of the room and there was lots of tea constantly being made. The Grandmother would stand  at her stove and bask in the happiness. It was her greatest joy in life to have her whole family all together under the same roof.

The children all played outside. There was a cricket match going on in the backyard and all of the boys were playing like it was a test series. They were yelling and running and having a great old time of it all.

The uncles were in the loungeroom, they would be watching a game on the television and cracking jokes and having a few beers. Stories of work and other things that men talk about would be discussed.  The Grandmother would love to stand in the doorway to this room and watch her sons all talking and being together.  The very simple things in life made her happy. The love of her family made her world go round. They were her whole life and she would do absolutely anything for them. 

When it was meal time there would be bodies everywhere in the kitchen.  Tiny fingers took plates off the table and Aunties would help them to fill up their plates.  The  children would then scoot off outside to sit and eat their Christmas meal. There would never have been enough seats around the table inside to sit at for this family. Little bottles of soft drink that had been handed out by their Grandmother were happily slurped away through bright coloured straws.

Christmas was such a wonderful time of the year.

The family were all together.

After Christmas dinner, the children would begin to look longingly at the Christmas tree. They would tug at their mothers sleeve begging for them to be allowed to open the gifts from their Aunties and Uncles and Grandmother. 

When the adults agreed there would be a mad rush in the back door with bodies dashing towards the tree to find their gifts. Afterwards the children would go outside to play with their new treasures.

After a while, tired little eyes would appear one by one and mentions of Santa coming would be heard.

Washing up was done and then one by one hugs and kisses would be exchanged and the families would all  go home to settle in for the night.

It was on a night like this that something very special would happen to the young girl.......

A very sleepy pair of little children were sitting in the back of the car. The father was driving  home from their Grandmother's house and the mother was sitting there thinking about all of the things she had to do when she arrived home.

The little boy had dropped off to sleep but the little girl was oh to excited to go to sleep. She was frightened that because it was so late that Santa may have already visited their home and because they hadn't been there then he hadn't left any toys for them.

All she wanted to do was to run up the front steps to her home and to crawl in bed before he arrived. 'please hurry up and get home' she thought to herself.

It was almost as if Santa himself had heard her thoughts....

As her father turned their car into their street she let out a cry ! 

 SANTA HIMSELF WAS WALKING DOWN THE TOP OF HER STREET !!!!

Oh my goodness she would have to move like the wind. If she could have sprouted wings and flown there she would have already been tucked up in her little bed with her eyes glued shut.

Her mother and father saw him with their own eyes as well.

The little girls eyes were as wide as saucers......it was Santa....he REALLY was here !!!

Her father pulled over to the side of the road along side of where Santa was walking.

The little girls heart was beating almost clean out of her chest. She had never seen such an amazing thing in all of her life. Her little girl cousins would be so wishing that they had been there at this very moment.

Her father softly spoke to Santa.

Santa looked into the car and said that we'd better be quick and get home to bed because very soon he would be reaching their home. He said that he had parked the sleigh in the street around the corner and the reindeers were having a drink of water and nibbling on the grass.

They had had a big evening and were happy to be resting. Santa held his huge sack of toys over his shoulder and with a wink he turned away. 'HO HO HO' could be heard and his bell that he carried could be heard ringing all of the way down the street.

WELL

the little girls feet barely touched the ground when her father parked their car. She was up the stairs and into the bath before you knew it.  Her mother came in to check on her only to find that the little girl was already dressed and tucked into bed.

'goodnight Mummy,' was all her mother heard as she closed the door and turned out the light. 10 seconds later she had fallen into dreamland where visions of Santa and his sack of toys welcomed her.

The rest of the story is history. We all know that the little girl would wake up the next morning and her and her brother would happily charge down the stairs to the Christmas tree where they would find surprises  from Santa and they would have an amazing time of it all.

NOWDAYS this little girl watches her own children enjoy the joy of Christmas. She watches their faces as they play with their own cousins and eat delicious meals around their Grandparents tables. There aren't as many cousins to play with, but the love and the happiness is certainly there.  The love the family has for each other is precious and the happiness on her own childrens faces as they wake up to see the gifts left by Santa makes her so very happy.

Christmas is about children and family and fun and enjoyment. It's about treasuring the company of the ones we love and appreciating all that family does for each other.

The beautiful Grandmother left the earth many years ago now but her heart beats on inside of the little girl. The gift of love that she gave the little girl has never left.  Her beautiful blue eyes twinkle on as diamonds in the sky. The little girl who has now all grown up looks up at those sparkly diamonds in the sky and knows that her grandmother is only a thought away.........

THE END

Merry Christmas to my beautiful Grandmother up in heaven. I sit here now enjoying a hot cup of tea that your great grandaughter just made for me and I wish you were here to enjoy one too. We could eat sao biscuits with cheese and tomato and play a game of cards and talk about good times.

There isn't a day in my life that I don't think of the love that you gave me. May you be sitting up there on a cloud watching your family from afar and know how much we all love you.

xo