Welcome to Another Weekend Coffee Share!
My profuse apologies it’s been so long in between drinks, as the saying goes. I’ve been hovering in limbo for some time and the blog ended up on hold. I don’t really know quite what to do with it atm and part of me would like to rev myself up and get back into it again, and another part of me is interested in starting a new blog focused on this new phase of life with kids who have left school, even if they haven’t left the nest as such.
Speaking of which, we recently experienced a bit of a twist on the more conventional empty nester scenario, when my husband, Geoff, and I went away houseminding at Southport on the Queensland Gold Coast for four weeks and left our now adult kids aged twenty and eighteen at home with the three dogs in tow. So, we were actually the ones leaving the nest. Although they were invited to join us, our son is studying and our daughter wasn’t sure about leaving her friends for so long and also felt we needed to get away the two of us. At least, that’s what she said.
So my current blogging plan is to write up about our travels at Beyond the Flow but under the sub-heading of “Beyond the Nest”.
Meanwhile, we’ve now been home for a week. Coming home was never going to be easy, and I guess we all know young adults tend to be domestic Neanderthals, but I’m an eternal optimist and I really did believe they’ve clean up after themselves before we arrived home, and at least have done some washing up while we were away. Leaving the clean up to the last minute and with us having a good run home and arriving early didn’t help. The kitchen tap also came off which threw our son, but we re-directed him to the laundry sink over the phone as we drew ever-nearer to arrival.
The other challenge about returning home, is trying to fit back into the place. Despite concerted efforts to clear out stuff, our placed is still packed to the rafters and beyond and we not only had to fit everything we’d taken away with us back in, we’d brought stuff home as well. Indeed, we’d brought home two bags of exquisite fabric from my retired dressmaker cousin and a few dresses mainly for my daughter and some curtains and there was also a painting by my Great Great Aunt. Special treasures. I also brought home another stack of books. I just can’t help myself, but at least I read a few while I was away, not that they’re ones I could part with. These are definitely keepers.
While we were away, I made a decision to somehow keep the holiday spirit alive when we returned home. To that end, I’ve been on a few local walks this week and after days and days of heavy rain, I was delighted the sun popped its head out for awhile today and I was down for a walk along our local beach in a flash. As you can see from the photos, there were still some massive rain-producing clouds around just waiting to dump their load and its been raining heavy all afternoon and into the night and we’re expecting a deluge tomorrow.
I’ve also been getting stuck into artistic pursuits since arriving home. We went to so many galleries, a couple of exhibition openings while also seeing a lot of street art and sculptures. Talk about inspiring and much of it helped me reframe myself as a potential artist. I am right down the abstract end of the spectrum and I’ve always been hard on myself because I struggle to draw or painting something as it is, but I’ve pulled off some good works over the years, and unfortunately much of what I’ve done has been hidden safely away in an art folder in my bedroom cupboard. Even my closest friends haven’t seen it and it’s all hidden away like a dark secret.
Not that I’ve been ashamed of my artworks. I don’t have space to hang it and much of it isn’t the sort of thing you’d have stuck inside a crowded wall. It needs high ceilings and a gallery. In other words, it’s all begging me to have an exhibition, but for me, I’d just want to exhibit. I don’t want to part with any of my artworks. Not yet, anyway. Perhaps, if I increase production, it will be easier to part with it, but I’m not there yet.
Do you do any form of art and do you sell or give your works away? How do you feel about that?
Anyway, as I said, I’ve been making art this week. My main project started evolving while we were away when I saw a round seagrass place mat at a kitchenware shop in Brunswick Heads near Byron Bay. I’ve become quite obsessed with making mandalas of lake and I have been on the look out for a circular surface where I could incorporate wool into a mandala. So this place mat fit the bill and was only $7.00 which is quite cheap for a canvas. I had also picked up a few handfuls of good wool and a crochet hook from the thrift shop nearby. So I was set and it is a shame I didn’t think about crocheting onto the mat until I’d arrived home as I had hours sitting in the car driving home and might’ve had it finished. As it was, I’ve been crocheting for hours and hours and then stitching the chains onto the mat, which has reminded my poor fingers of sewing ribbons on our daughter’s pointe shoes. Once again, there were a few sharp jabs.
I still don’t know why doing this piece was so important and why I’ve prioritised it over my writing and I really have a lot to follow up on from the trip as well as much to get back to. Spending hours doing random crochet is a luxury really, but I felt compelled to go on pursuing the vision in my head, which is more than academic. I’ve called it “Passion & Peace”. I was initially think of having more of a balance, but I have no balance and often very little peace when I’m inspired. I’m consumed like a moth flying into the flame.
Anyway, I do think producing this work was fun.
How was your week? What have you been up to?
I hope you’ve had a great week.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Beyond the Flow 