People are…………
……………Strange, fascinating, weird, wonderful, complex, daft, intriguing.
I mean……..why would you purposely wear two different shoes and numerous different socks?
But then again…………why not? I guess you’d never have to worry about the odd socks that never find their mate.
Who decided that what you wore had to match, co-ordinate, pair up and be uniform?
Rules. Rules. Rules. I admire those who bend the rules.
Tomorrow it the 1st of November and when shoppers head into their major shopping centres they will find that their retail therapy complexes have been transformed. Although there are two months till the actual event, the shopping centres will have been decorated to the nines and turned into Christmas wonderlands.
As the doors closed on the retail stores today the worker bees moved in with their trolleys and boxes and wires and lights and posters and unbridled enthusiasm. (I’m just kidding about the last bit. It’s all about the pay packet)
Enormous Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths will greet shoppers as they walk through the doors. Their ears will be assaulted by the sounds of Christmas songs from now until the 24th of December, though most will be ready to strangle Bing Crosby, if he wasn’t already dead, by the 25th of November.
I’m not ready for it yet.
I have my own personal pledge regarding Christmas and Christmas shopping…….. I refuse to think about it until after Melbourne Cup Day. And even then I think it’s too early. The tree will definitely not be going up in my home until December 1. (And it is a new tree, too!!)
The only thing I really plan to be thinking about in the lead up to Christmas Day is my Xmas cards. I have to plan, prepare and create the perfect photo for the cards that I will be sending out.
Had to do the grocery shopping today. Had to. Things were desperate. We were at the last of the milk, we had no cold meat, no bananas, no salad mix…….. So I dragged the unwilling and recalcitrant #1 son out of his bed and made him push the shopping trolley through Coles, Aldi and the fruit and veg shop.
While negotiating the fruit and vegetable aisle of Coles to get to the deli I came across something that I had never seen before. Something unusual. Something that made me wonder just what the bloody hell one would do with it????
Have you ever come across the Buddha’s hand before? Have you ever made anything using the Buddha’s hand?
I had to wait till I got home so that I could Google it. Thank you Wikipedia. 🙂
Buddha’s hand, Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, or the fingered citron, is an unusually shaped citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections, resembling a human hand. In Japanese it is called bushukan (ブッシュカン).
The different cultivars and variations of this citron variety form a gradient from “open-hand” types with outward-splayed segments to “closed-hand” types, in which the fingers are kept together. There are also half-fingered fruits, in which the basal side is united and the apical side fingered. The origin of this kind of citron is commonly traced back to the Far East, probably north eastern India or China, where most domesticated citrus fruits originate.
Perfume
Buddha’s hand fruit is very fragrant and is used predominantly in China and Japan for perfuming rooms and personal items such as clothing.
Religious
The fruit may be given as a religious offering in Buddhist temples. According to tradition, Buddha prefers the “fingers” of the fruit to be in a position where they resemble a closed rather than open hand, as closed hands symbolize to Buddha the act of prayer. In China, the Buddha’s hand fruit is a symbol of happiness, longevity and good fortune. It is also a traditional temple offering and a New Year’s gift.
Food and medicine
Though esteemed chiefly for its “exquisite form and aroma”, the Buddha’s Hand fruit can also be eaten (often as a zest or flavouring) in desserts, savory dishes and alcoholic beverages (such as vodka) or candied as a sweet. The sliced, dried peel of immature fruits is also prescribed as a tonic in traditional medicine.
I, of course, simply had to take a photo of this unusual citrus. #1 son, of course, had to run away and hide from the embarrassment of his mother taking a photo of a fruit in the Coles supermarket.
Honestly, kids these days. They get embarrassed by their parents so easily.
You truly never know when the photo of the day will materialize.
Take today as yet another example that the world works in mysterious ways. I had been out to dinner with two of my old bosses/work colleagues from back in my retail bookseller days…… (And again, to clarify, they are not OLD old….they are old, as in, previous. But…..when you think about how long ago it was that we worked together……)
…….Anyway, I was climbing into the driver’s seat of my car to head home after a delicious Greek meal in Swan Street, Richmond when something I had just glanced at registered in my head as something that was quite quirky and therefore needing to be photographed.
*Audible gasp* ….I didn’t have my camera with me!! My camera was sitting on the kitchen bench at home!
I had given myself a stern talking to before I left the house. The conversation in my head was all about me not being a complete photography nerd and being able to go somewhere, anywhere, and not feel the need to have my camera with me. I was on my way out to dinner. Surely I did not need to take my camera?
Wrong!!
Photo opportunity staring me in the face and all I had with me was my phone. Bloody common sense. When will I learn? I shouldn’t listen to myself. I simply have to have my camera with me everywhere I go this year. Weddings, parties, dinners, dances, gigs, festivals, walks,………….anything.
As for the photo itself. I thought it was a great way to advertise for staff. However, what would be the alternative? I’m not even sure that I would want to know. Can you just imagine the interview process.
Yes. I know. It’s another cat.
I truly did not want another bloody feline in my blog for a long time, but the people I know own them so when I go visiting I meet these damned cats.
And then this damned grey and black cat decides to sit on the grey and black rug. How did this infernal creature know that I am doing monochrome this month and it had just created my photo of the day? And why did I not carry my camera on the 2km walk to Annmarie’s house today?? I had to make do with my phone and try not to scare the bloody cat away before I got my shot.
Not quite the shot I was hoping for, but hey, it’s a cat. 😛
There is a place, just near my home, where I regularly take my wee beasts for an off-lead run. It’s vacant land where the gas line runs underneath. Nice and wide and about 800 metres long, the dogs love the chance to go a bit crazy.
Along this stretch of land there has been planted a species of pine tree that has the most incredible ocean sound when the wind blows through the needles. I am an enormous fan of the soothing sounds of the ocean and I just love to meander past these trees when the breeze is blowing.
I can close my eyes and imagine that I’m sitting on the sand at Anglesea, Torquay or Apollo Bay. Or my mind is transported to my tent at Skene’s Creek, where I am snuggled up in the pure darkness that can only be found miles and miles away from major cities and towns, with the unique sounds of the coastline at night.
Now I have just consulted ‘Encyclopedia Google’ and have discovered that this pine has been declared a noxious weed in this country!!! It’s common name is the Athel Pine and it is BAD.
Like most things introduced to this country because someone thought that the overseas version would be better or someone just missed seeing it when they moved here, the non-native has decided that things are bloody great here in Australia and has multiplied out of control and has begun to take over.
Just like the rabbit (someone missed their regular feed of rabbit stew and thought it would be a good idea to let a few out into the bush), the fox (because those bloody rabbits bred like rabbits and foxes are good at killing rabbits), cane toads (because someone had the bright idea that they would be really good at killing some bugs on the sugar cane) and Patterson’s Curse (because another bright spark wanted to make her garden look a little bit more like jolly ol’ England)……just to name a few…… the Athel Pine was brought to Australia because it was a good shade and anti-erosion tree. And it is, in its native countries, but in Australia is likes things too much and has decided to do a Beyoncé and “Rule the World”.
So it has to go. Which is a shame, because the soothing sounds will be missed when they’ve all been cut down.
Hello??? Inspiration?? Are you there?
I may have lost my inspiration tonight. What do I mean may?? I have.
The words have dried up today. My brain is a tired, grey cloud floating aimlessly inside my skull. I haven’t even taken a photo today. Not one. I haven’t even wanted to take a photo today or even really thought about the desire to take a photo. No, sorry, I tell a lie. I actually have a photo being planned in my head, I just couldn’t be stuffed stopping on the side of the road, getting out of the car and grabbing what I needed to start the project rolling.
But don’t despair. We’re not quite into “American Pie” territory yet. The music has not died, it has just been turned down because the neighbours were complaining and threatening to call the police.
I still have a photo though. There’s nothing in the rule book that says that I must use a photo taken on the day. Actually, there’s nothing in the rule book that says that I have to take a photo every day. If I have a plethora of wonderful photos that I would like to share…. I can. My blog. My challenge. My rules. My rules to break. And as we know, I have broken the ‘one photo a day’ rule more than once and may continue to do so.
My photo of the day is one of the photos I took yesterday during my Melbourne, Australia Day adventure. I challenge you to tell me where this photo was taken.
I walked out of work today and noticed that something wasn’t right. There was too much light ahead of me. Why was there too much light??? It can’t be what I’m thinking. They wouldn’t. They couldn’t!!!
They did.
The magnificent twisted willow tree that has graced the corner of Kellaway Avenue and Pascoe Vale Road for decades is gone.
There is no place like home. The one place where you should feel safe and happy and relaxed. The place where you can wander around in your pyjamas all day if you want to. The place where you can sing out loud to those insanely awesome songs from the 80’s. Where you can dance wildly to techno or heavy metal or to George Michael if the spirit moves you.
Home should be your sanctuary.
Home is the place where I can walk in the door, say hello to the dogs (and the child if he’s around), kick off my shoes and walk outside on the grass. Is there a better feeling than walking in lush green grass? Actually there is….. walking on the beach with the warm waters lapping over your feet. But I don’t have that within my reach right now. I have my backyard and it’s gorgeous lawn.
I love my house. I love my home. I’m very proud that I have this home. It’s mine.
So today I’m being naughty again and am going to share more than one photo. A tiny tribute to The Wizard of Oz. “There’s no place like home.”
According to my good friend/pseudo wife, we are now old. How did she reach this conclusion? Because we are at a pub on a Sunday afternoon to see a couple of musicians, not heading out at 10:30pm on a Friday or Saturday night to go to a nightclub or a gig. And it probably doesn’t help matters that I have been going to see these boys play since well before my 18 year old son was born. (Day 11 and first mention of the child. Hahahaha. He will be so pleased)
However, I see nothing wrong with going out on a Sunday afternoon to see a couple of great musicians. Isn’t that what civilised grown-ups do? I’m sure I’ve seen Facebook friends taking selfies at Sunday arvo events. In beer gardens and the like. Maybe it’s weird for me because I’m there drinking rasberry cordial not pink champagne or a beer.
Oh my, just look at the time. It’s time for my warm milk and nightly constitutional. Nite nite all.
Camera phone today people.
A photo a day for 365 days.........and beyond 