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Tim & Jude

Thoughts on stuff

We are moving overseas in 3 weeks. Exciting.
In preparation yesterday we had a big garage sale.
I'm still a little shaken and traumatised.
Thinking about it now I even feel sick inside (or was that something I ate?).
I've been saving and hoarding all kind of things for 24 years - partly because I'm a hoarder, it's in my genes, but I think it also comes out of a desire not to waste things. To re-use rather than throw-away. A desire to be frugal and resourceful.
I'm excited about this opportunity to clean my life of stuff but shocked by how much I actually have/had.
We sold some stuff.
But the garage is still chockas with things. Nothing particularly valuable. Just things.
The saga to clean our lives of stuff continues.
I'm over my things and ready to move on. It's all just stuff anyway.
I hope in Vancouver, Canada I really do learn from this to live simply with very little stuff and more time for people.
I hope that we are more available to be used by God because we have less stuff.

Thankyou to my gorgeous sister, beautiful friend, amazing mum, dad and husband for helping me in my erratic state. Thanks for doing dirty jobs like cleaning fridges and showers and taking signs down off poles and for letting me put just a little rum in my cordial at 8am. I love you.

Ranunculus

I visited Bondi in Sydney for work recently - quite a treat, and bought these flowers back on the plane - just because I could (we just don't get flowers like they do down south up here in the tropics). Here they are wilted but still eerily beautiful don't you think? (I love the morning light so I suppose these could go in my light series).

I haven't spent much time in Sydney and could tell straight away that it is very different to Brisbane. Equally beautiful, but different. I left a sunny, warm Brisbane and arrived in a cool, cloudy Sydney where everyone was wearing boots and jumpers. I especially loved and wish I had taken more pictures of all the bagel shops, Jewish men in their traditional hats, and the inside of all the taxsis I drove in - it's cute the way they personalise their 'workspace'. Here is some interesting comissioned street art down by Bondi Beach and I can't believe noone ever told me about double-decker trains in Sydney - I was so excited when I went to hop on and realised.

Picasso had a very long middle name

I learnt this from a little boy in my class on Tuesday. Picasso also had many wives and mistresses. In my opinion, he was a bit of a dirty old man. His art is fascinating though. Especially seeing his progression through different phases. Here are some Picasso inspired faces by year 5's.

Mim & Freddy