Pieces of Contentment: Sky

Showing posts with label Sky. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

May

Yes, there’s a lighthouse out there! From Emerald Beach you can see the South Solitary Island Lighthouse. Opened in 1880 it remains the most isolated station on the east coast. It became fully automated in 1975.
And on to Sapphire Beach - another beautifully named beach on the Coffs Harbour Coastline.
Sawtell Beach.
Sapphire Beach again! 💙Situated a little south of Emerald Beach and one of five new-to-us beaches which we visited briefly one day at the beginning of the month. All of these natural beauties are within an hour’s drive south of us. The North Coast of NSW is a beach goers paradise.

I'm only just beginning to learn the rhythms of a florist's year. Mother's Day week is a very big one and was a wonderful time to take my camera to Flowers by Bonnie.

We've continued to make day tips to Iluka, enjoying the views over the bay as we to make further progress sorting and emptying my parents-in-love old home.... So many stages of decluttering and mixed emotions as the home becomes less ‘theirs’ and more open to new beginnings.

The month of May has brought pleasant autumn weather, however as the mornings are becoming rather crisp, I mostly favour sunset walks over sunrise ones. Every sunset sky is a treat, especially as viewed over the river. Yesterday's colourful sunset was followed by a near-full moonrise which was a short lived spectacle as it disappeared into the clouds before completely rising above the horizon. Still beautiful!

Further details for some of these photos will appear if you hover your cursor over the image. :)

*** You may also enjoy my Instagram feed which I add to several times a week. You don't have to join Instagram to view - just click on the little blue square camera logo under my blog profile (top right hand corner).

Karen

Sunday, April 29, 2018

From the Rising of the Sun

There's always something special about watching the changing sky as the sun brings a new day and again as the sun sinks below the horizon. A time to pause in thanksgiving and wonder, realising how small and fragile we are.

From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised.

Psalm 133:3

Miss V and Miss E were both water baptised on Easter Sunday - a public confession of their personal faith. It was wonderful to have all the family present for this event - as well as many friends.

A small organic baby quilt has been stitched and added to my Etsy store along with a small selection of cards professionally printed using my photos. Some lovely new fabrics have inspired a few more blocks of my epp hand stitching project too.

We continue to making steady progress as we sort the possessions of my parents' in law, frequently contemplating the role of belongings, our impact on the world and the legacy we leave for future generations. Appreciating the past, making the most of the present and looking with hope towards the future.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Life Past and Present

It's amazing the things you discover as you begin to clear out someone else's home. There is much which needs to be graciously overlooked and dealt with appropriately and then you also find curious old treasures. Trying to find the line between old worthless 'stuff' and intriguing possessions is a difficult one, which is made both easier and harder once the owner is no longer here.

I find my self looking back over the old black and white photos to see if any of my young mother-in-law was wearing any of the dozen hats and fascinators discovered in her hat box - and I haven't found any yet. I didn't even know about the existence of the hat box until just over 12 months ago when she had to have a particular hat (the one with all the little fur tails) to wear to my son's wedding, the same hat (and accompanying dress) which she had worn to her oldest son's wedding in 1983. She and I spent hours looking for the hat box and nearly left her old seaside home without locating it. Once found, she briefly looked through her memory hats that day as we quickly gathered the right hat and headed back into our home town an hour away. And that was all. Life moved on.

Many finds remain intriguing mysteries, other my husband knows the story behind them, like dozens of Fowlers Vacola preserving jars retrieved from the boat shed. These have been scrubbed are now happily in use in our home and a local florist as vases.

Each week we make another trip down to continue the huge task of house sorting, and when time and the weather allow, we enjoy a little time at one of Iluka's wonderful beaches before heading home.

Life continues on amongst sorting my mil's affairs. Early morning walks are still a pleasure, before the heat and humidity of the day linger long. Quite a few new fabrics have been added to my Etsy shop over recent weeks, bringing variety as other fabrics sell out. An organic quilt from my Etsy shop has also made it's way to a new home this month. Nothing seems to mark the passing of time more distinctly than birthdays. Our youngest turned 10 this week - Miss E had a wonderful birthday and is a blessing to us every day!