( MA + CHR )

"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain."  
BLADERUNNER

wonderful collage work from design studio ( MA + CHR )

here, beneath the heavens

I have had to take an unexpectedly sudden break ...
Jonathan's mother passed away on Monday.

We found out in May, just before Mother's Day,
that the cancer had spread and that it was terminal.

We immediately booked tickets to visit her in Tasmania,

and spent a wonderful 10 days beneath the Western Tiers.

It was one of many visits made there since the family shifted 

from the mainland just a little less than two years ago.

Three weeks ago we got a call that Beryl 

would be going into hospital and palliative care.

We headed back and it has been a sad visit indeed.

She passed away gently, after a difficult two weeks, 
whilst holding the hand of the man she had loved 
for seventy years and encircled by her children.

She was 86 years old.

Everything must be done by turns; 

no activity, here beneath the heavens, 

but has its allotted time for 

beginning and coming to an end. 

Men are born only to die, 

plant trees only to displant them. 

Now we take life, now we save it; 

now we are destroying, now building. 

Weep first, then laugh, 

mourn we and dance; 

the stones we have scattered 

we must bring together anew; 

court we first and then shun the embrace. 

Today's gain, tomorrow's loss; 

what once we treasured, soon thrown away; 

the garment rent, the garment mended; 

silence kept, and silence ended; 

love alternating with hatred, 

war with peace. 

For all this toil of his, how is man the richer? 

I was raised Roman Catholic and although my 
spiritual beliefs are no longer exactly christian in nature,
the above words have often brought me gentle peace.

They were read at my grandmother's funeral, and 
the last line has always been a point of reflection for me.

Perhaps a  catholic would say that the richness is in 
leading a good life and being rewarded in the hereafter,
but I believe now that it is to be found in the way one lives
their life, not for the promise of eternal life beyond death,
but because of a deep connection with life
HERE, beneath the heavens...

Beryl was married for sixty-one years to Peter.

 She was a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother,
an appreciator of beauty, a wonderful storyteller
and an incredibly talented photographer...

And she always had a twinkle in her eye.  

I knew her only in the last six years of her life
(the same length of time that I have known my son),
and what will hold fast in my memory is her 
great appreciation of very simple pleasures
and her memory for the details of beauty 
in each and every passing moment.

She could remember the name of most any flower.
So few people do.  I will dearly miss her.


Re: The Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 (Old Testament) Revised Knox Version


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PLEASE DO NOT REPRODUCE/CIRCULATED THESE IMAGES

wool and water

I love these beautiful & dark articulated dolls 

from talented papersmith Amy Earles...

↑ This duo look to me like they are straight out of ↓

{ The Black Rider } 

(click here to read more)

An incredible musical fable by Tom Waits,

William S. Burroughs and Robert Wilson,

which I was fortunate to see performed 

in English at the Sydney Festival in 2004.

You can view a version of it here on youtube

The accompanying album is fantastic

and available here from Amazon

Now, who can resist a little dancing halloween skeleton?

Simply enchanting, are they not?

You can visit the wool and water shops 

                        (click here for website)

via bigcartel and etsy

or visit the 'wool and water' blog here

for more delights and inspiration

a winter walk

                          Ari's always looking for fairies...

                 

My wonderful piano key socks are by 

Kirsten Perry from her Numero Uno range,

you can purchase your own pair here.

The decoupage bangles are of my own label

and will be available from my shop in July.

  

Recently I stumbled across this interview 

on the Craft Victoria blog where Kirsten 

talks about her art,  life and inspirations.

I met Kirsten at the Rose St. Artist's Market,

where I also sold my wares for many a year.

I bought one of her fantastic ig toys for Ari 

and I've also got a handpainted ceramic 

skull necklace which I absolutely treasure.

I really love the humour of Kirsten's work.

You can visit her fantastic blog here 

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend too!

the dollybird

You can view all their links via this treasury

which I put together a few days ago,

and you can view my other treasuries here 

the haunting

I first heard this lovely song...

{ The May Queen }

by Sasha Soukup

when Sasha posted the link to it
(& others) on her beautiful blog 

...it has been haunting me ever since

sign of the twins

It was my birthday yesterday 

and I had a wonderful day.

Here are some of my favourite twin images

It was really lovely to catch up with so 

many of my dear friends this weekend.

I feel blessed to have 

such beautiful people in my life.

Thank-you for all the wonderful gifts

and loving thoughts and words...

 I'd also like to wish a very

✩ Happy Birthday ✩

to all my fellow geminis... 

I know so many.

image sources:

1. unknown 2. Billy und Hells 3.Diabolus 

 4. Sarah Ogren 5.Theremina via flickr

more incredible twin shots on this blog

looking through the kaleidoscope

a painting by Olaf Hajek,

interiors styling by Irina Graewe,

and a butterfly assembledge 

by Damien Hirst 

...and one of my collage work which will

hopefully be available as prints in the shop soon

sorry, not sure of the links for these images...

one sunday morning

 happy threads, early morning faces,

and one too many gin and tonics...

makes me think of  ↓this song↓  which I love

I wonder... would you join me, for a lovely snowy drive 

through the streets of Mendoza Argentina,  sometime?

this week

I am taking a little break, but I will be back with wonderful 

new posts and the grand opening of my shops very soon... 

Welcome to the Dollhaus  &  Raised by the Wolves 

colour & shapes

HERE 

from the fabulous

 VIVIENNE STRAUSS  

HERE 

from the delightful

MMTWOEMS 

HERE 

from the wonderful

violet may 

images via this Etsy treasury 

by Charlotte Jolie

- the little house -

The little house with the forest roof (17/4 ) reminded me

of  something else...  somewhere else...  something beautiful... 

I couldn't quite remember what that beautiful something was

...until just now

the beetle's house  

        (I believe that's Fujimori in the window)

.... like heaven on earth, no?

Too-High Tea House

The extroadinary work of japanese surrealist architect 

Fujiomori Terunobu

sorry, these were found all over the shop, not sure of links...