Many Faces

It’s been a long time since I’ve written.

A lot has happened.

February 2020 – Lil and I packed up our much loved home in Adelaide and moved to Sydney.

I started my new job at Industrial Light & Magic and Lil started at the brand new Inner Sydney High School.

Work took me back to Fox Studios, had time stood still? Ha, not says my mirror!

We found a place to live in Rozelle.

Sydney, the same face, with a patchwork of botox and plastic surgery but the same enough to trigger carefully stored memories, some welcome, others not so.

September 2020 – Rozelle became untenable, we moved to Annandale. Much happier.

But still struggling. The villian? Sydney/Covid? (Sydney property managers/landlords?)

In Annandale we found some happiness within our confined Covid existence, how I love the old terraces, sites & stories from early Sydney, the gorgeous tree lined street we lived on and the beautiful gardens, the frangipani’s, the scent of citrus blossoms, the lamingtons and hot cross buns to die for, the walk down to the tram and the glistening harbour.

September 2021 – But Sydney rose up again, saying don’t get comfortable! We moved to Summer Hill.

Just down the hill from Thorin, Genie, Indigo & Ben – and Misha!

Now that has put a smile on my face. We moved into one of the new apartments where the old flour mill had been. I loved the views from our top level apartment, in one direction gorgeous Summer Hill cottages snuggled into a sea of trees so often crowned by the golden setting sun and in the other direction the twinkling city in the distance. I loved the way the sun streamed into our apartment and, when covid retreated, the fortnightly markets with live music and delicious treats, our pizza nights up at Moonbie St and having the Munro’s down to our place. Summer Hill 💛

May 2023 – But Sydney rose up again, was Sydney trying to kick us out? At the same time, an offer to work in Vancouver.

We packed everything into a container and shipped it.

June 2023 – Michal met us at the airport and stayed with us for two weeks to help us find our feet and settle in 💛

Our container arrived in perfect time for us as we moved into our new home in West Vancouver.

And just like that, life felt lighter.

I joined a choir and a painting class 🎶🎨

It’s so beautiful here, the seasons, the mountains (often topped with snow), the giant trees, the crystal clear glistening water ways, our home with glorious views and a little fireplace ✨

And nothing better than a new job to kick your brain into fifth gear! Thank you new job, thank you brain.

We had our one year anniversary just a couple of weeks ago.

Lil has blown me away, in our first year in Vancouver, she was selected as the Marketing Manager of the Student Council, cast as Cady in Mean Girls Musical at Arts Umbrella and earnt straight A’s at school. For 2024/25 school year, she’s been selected into the International Baccalaureate program, voted the Vice President of the Student Council and, after auditioning, received an offer to join the Musical Theatre Troupe at Arts Umbrella.

Proud mum!

I’m going to try and pop in here more regularly.

It’s been a tough year in the film industry, here’s to things turning around soon, please take care out there.

Wishing you a wonderful day 🌱

Transition

Rundle Mall – from another era tall decorative buildings squeeze between modern ones, reminding me of Harry Potter.

So many people, a complex pattern we weave, varying speeds and purpose.

I love being surrounded by their silent stories.

Lifted by the sound of the electric violin, carried to my daughter.

The green door. Our meeting place.

My daughters words mix with the surrounds, her precious voice.

A place of transition between work and home.

Talking on the way home, ‘bad things happen, good things happen’, ‘good things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people’, ‘bad things happen to good people, bad things happen’.

Yes.

Seasons come.

And go.

Grateful for the time.

Have a wonderful day 🌱

Remaining still

My daughter and I enjoy watching the anime series Avatar (over and over).

Both Aang and Korra, but most beloved is Aang.

There is so much to love, a couple of favourites: Uncle Iroh (his wisdom and love of tea), Appa (a giant white flying Bison)…

It’s where I learnt about Jīng.

In Chinese, Jīng means power or energy.

We learn from Bumi that there are eighty five types (degrees) of Jīng but these are the key ones:

Positive Jīng – advancing

Negative Jīng – retreating

Neutral Jīng – listening and waiting

Neutral Jing –

Waiting, listening,

Alert, calm,

Attuned, present,

Observing.

Awaiting for signs, the correct conditions, to alter your Jing.

Retreat…advance…remain still…

Have a wonderful day 🌱

Spring is here

Is it possible that the fastest route to happiness is creativity?

Is it possible that when we’re feeling frustrated it’s because our creativity is being squeezed or restricted in some way?

I know the joy creativity gives me, both my own and others.

Watching and listening to my daughter planning and creating a new fairy garden.

Creatively solving a problem. Even those problems on spreadsheets!

A beautiful photo.

Posting here on Tiny Garden 🌱

A chef’s creation that awakens taste buds long forgotten, a movie that makes you belly laugh, written words that paint the picture so clearly you’re there, feeling the fear, hurt, anger, disappointment, a water colour painting that transports you to the country road where you can hear the cows bellowing from the far paddock, feel the coolness of the late afternoon and smell the smoke from the farm house…

Spring is here! 🌱

Have a wonderful day!

 

Lawn

Our front garden is tiny too. It used to be crowded and bushy with large weedy trees and ratty flax. In the middle, a shell garden, ouchy to walk on but beautiful and beachy.

We loved it for many years. Lovingly regularly pulling weeds from the shell garden, though never as often as needed.

But lawn was calling me, lush and green.

I craved lying on my back on soft grass watching the clouds pass by and I was keen to give my daughter a place to do her (untrained) incredibly neat cartwheels.

With the help of our friends we removed trees, shrubs, ancient flax, stumps and our shells.

And lay down turf.

Now clouds drift by witnessed.

And neat cartwheels get neater.

We still lovingly remove weeds.

A beautiful rainbow today reminding us there is treasure yet to be discovered.

And a golden sunset.

Today I am grateful for all the help we received.

May help be at hand for you today if needed.

 

Growth

Our tomatoes are getting bigger.

And our Feijoa’s.

Our apples too.

Time, a magic ingredient. We can increase or decrease the water supply, we can adjust the soil content but time, a necessary ingredient, we have no control over.

Time, something I’m grateful for and as I get older, ever more conscious of it passing. And the faster it seems to pass!

My thoughts have been on our whales today and how their time has been cut short. And no answers.

There is a reason. I hope the reason is discovered so we can work to stop it happening again.

More than 300 whales have lost their lives.

Last September in Woolgoolga on the north coast of NSW we saw the whales on their migration. Mothers and babies frolicking in the sparkling deep blue sea. Like a happy dog wagging his tail, their flukes put smiles on our faces.

More than 200 whales saved, I hope they swim out to deeper water where it is safer and they find solace in their friends and joy in their surrounds and, in time, frolick again.

No harvest today, dinner with friends 🌱

May you find joy in the company of friends today, as we did.

 

Fairies

We’re not 100% certain fairies visit our garden but we are ready if they do, tucked under the lemon balm is a place for them to meet and rest.

This may sound strange to some of you but we have a fairy we lean on regularly, our parking fairy. I do hope she comes to rest here, she helps us so often!

When I was growing up in Australia I remember we would sometimes find patches of tiny exquisitely perfect mushrooms where you could imagine fairies dancing.

Thank goodness for books, stories, our imaginations.

Have a wonderful day!

Feijoa

We have added some feijoa trees to our garden. Our first blossom.

One of our young feijoa trees in the afternoon sun.

A baby feijoa?

May the sun find your shoulders to warm today.

 

Today’s harvest

Freshly harvested for dinner, mesculin and fresh sweet juicy peas.

A chuckle from today: my daughter, after learning I used a new moisturiser said, “I thought you were looking younger”. Thank you for making me smile.

Our gladioli’s are starting to bloom.

Have a wonderful day!

Tiny Garden

Welcome to our blog.

What can you expect when you visit here:

  • pictures of our tiny garden as we turn it into an edible garden
  • things that have made us smile
  • things we are grateful for
  • things we have found inspiring
  • (and more as we learn about blogging)

Personal goals for this site:

  • a reminder to find the joy
  • to record our smiles, laughter, giggles and chuckles in words and photos
  • a reminder that we are responsible for our own happiness

Thank you for visiting.

Have a great day!