That’s a Wrap… Week 4, 2017

I don’t know a lot about Chinese astrology, but I do know that I (and many others) found the Year of the Monkey tough. I googled my Sheep/Goat horoscope to see what the Year of the Rooster had in store for me (don’t ask me for the site, I seriously was just googling around) and apparently the first half of my year will be tough and the 2nd half will start to even out. It will also require much hard work and prudence with money. No shit, Sherlock. (For any non Aussies out there, that pretty much means something like tell me something I didn’t already know, or that wasn’t obvious.)

This house has been cleaned to a state cleaner than it’s ever been in preparation for tomorrows first open home. Did I mention we’re now on the market?  Please wish us luck for a quick sale. Anyways, back to the Chinese New Year thing, I’ve also just washed my hair – part of the whole new year thing is to go into the new year with a clean slate and clean hair. Washing your hair in the first couple of days of the new year can wash your prosperity away. Now I know where I went wrong last year.

As for the week that was? Here goes…

Where we breakfasted…

The Velo Project in Mooloolaba. Oh, how I love this place. So much so that I wrote a post about it. You’ll find that here. I’m looking forward to trying so many new brekky places on the sunny coast.

What made me happy…

Seeing these red lanterns in Martin Place. There’s lots more Chinese New Year stuff around town too…

Where we lunched…

Mooloolaba Surf Club. This will soon be my local – and I can’t wait!

What I listened to…

I’m procrastiwatching Lewis at the moment. I’ve always been an Inspector Morse fan, but think I’m actually enjoying Lewis more. One episode took place around a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. I’ve been through stages with classical music in the past, but I had this one on this afternoon while I was getting the house inspection ready and remembered just how good music can touch your soul. Beautiful.

What I bought…

We’ve recently upgraded to the new iPhone 7 and both Ms T and I were devastated to know that our beloved ibark phone cases didn’t fit the new phones (shame on you Apple…). Thankfully though, ibark do custom designs on their harvest (wood) cases. I was able to have my navigator (the turtle is the sign of the traveller) again and Ms T went for a mandala. You can contact them here.

What made me cry…

I came across these tiny booties and knits that my mother made for Sarah. Also in this stash is my christening bonnet and booties that she also wore when we had her baptized. Also here is the shawl my mother knitted. I found it and burst into tears. Ridiculous, I know, but it was a reminder that we’ve been in this house since she was 1. Nostalgia.

What I read…

Poetry. Again inspired by Lewis, I found this one by Alfred Edward Housman. It’s called The Land Of Lost Content and is, for me, about nostalgia and looking back.

Into my heart an air that kills

From yon far country blows:

What are those blue remembered hills,

What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,

I see it shining plain,

The happy highways where I went

And cannot come again.

Sure, in the past are happy memories, but the future is a new adventure. Besides, hindsight also has a habit of appearing rosier than it really was.

Still on poetry…

This one – Love’s Philosophy – by Shelley. I used it today in an astro post I’m scheduling for Pisces, but it made me realise that good poetry such as this is wasted on us at school.

The fountains mingle with the river

   And the rivers with the ocean,

The winds of heaven mix for ever

   With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

   All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle.

   Why not I with thine?—

 See the mountains kiss high heaven

   And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

   If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth

   And the moonbeams kiss the sea:

What is all this sweet work worth

   If thou kiss not me?

Just how beautiful is that line: and the moonbeams kiss the sea….?

What I also read…

You, Me Always by Jill Mansell. It was predictable, it made me cry at altitude, but it was also so optimistic in tone that as I read the last page I found myself still smiling.

What I counted…

Thongs…or for the non- Aussies, flip-flops or jandals. Each of these has a purpose:

• The faded yellow flower ones are for painting and housework
• The purpley flowery ones are special edition Liberty Havainas. These are my posh thongs.
• The beach scene thongs are my….wait for it…beach thongs.
• The hibiscus thongs are my resort wear thongs.
• The black and white jungle and lion thongs are my current faves. Every girl needs some basic black and animal print in her wardrobe.
• The other 2 pairs are spares. One of these is a pair of billabongs that quite simply aren’t as comfy as the havis are, and the other pink pair are fake havis bought at the markets in Kamala (Phuket) when our bags were stuck in Abu Dhabi.

How was your week? Highlights? How are you with poetry or classical music?