Snippets of Sunday - Ms Heap and Mr Beck

I don't know how much you're into music, but it's pretty much part of the landscape in these here part of the woods.

It's almost as much a need as bread and water to me.

I don't think I'd live very happily without it.

Music defines different memories and stories from my life.

It's all filed away back there in the recesses of moi's grey matter.

Anyway, I'll get to the point.

The snippet I want to share with you today is a song that I really love.

This chicky babe is an awesome singer and I love all her music.

What's great about this clip is that she's singing along to music made by Jeff Beck(guitar) and Tal Wilkenfield(bass).

What a trio!

Everyone give a warm round of applause for................

IMOGEN HEAP!!!!!

Seriously, you must hear it.

Happy days, people!

~ Ky x

Snippets of Sunday - Chilly Smoke

I smell like smoke. NO! I haven't been smoking, I've just been standing near a fire.

My darling decided to burn the great pile of rose bush clippings that I had made a few months ago. Let me just say, I've been asked oh so politely not to do that again.

I won't. I promise!

Anyway, today is a clear, sunny, windy and very cold day. Having this fire burning on such a winters day made me feel nostalgic. I was transported right back to the years I spent as a kid, growing up on 13 acres in the bush. Riding pushbikes. Riding motorbikes. Roaming the bush in search of some mischief to get up to.

I loved Sunday afternoons in winter out there. The trees casting long shadows early in the afternoon. There was usually the echo of a chainsaw happening somewhere on a neighbouring propery. Sometimes it was the sound of Dad using the chainsaw or even the tractor to mow the grass.

And there was always the smell of smoke. Be it from our chimney or from Dad or a neighbour burning off.

Yep, this afternoons mix of chill in the air and smell of smoke took me right back to that carefree time of my life. 

It's no wonder some people live in the past.

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion.

I think I'm just going to stay there for the rest of today.

~ Ky x

The Plan

I've decided to give The Miss K Way some sort of direction instead of just plodding along putting up posts willy nilly. Actually, I have been encouraged in the past to have theme posts on different days of the week, every week. I've thought about it long and hard and agree that it's a very good idea and it will help me to focus on my posting and, you, my dear reader will also know what sort of thing to expect of this blog.

A special thank you to Felicity of Gifts of Serendipity fame for her suggestions today, and in the past. You're a clever girl you are, Ms Felicity!

So, this is my plan.

 Tuesdays will be the day for Teacups and Graffiti. If you have been following along with T&G then you will know that it's all about the photo. That will be my photography day. A day for showing off my rad photographic skilz. Ha!

Then on Fridays I will post about something that makes me feel good. For example, music, food, movies, whatever it is that week that makes me feel so good that I just absolutely have to share it with the world. I'm guessing there's going to be a lot of music posts, cos I love music!

I'm also hoping that whatever I post about on Friday's will make you feel good too.

This made me giggle when I saw it.

So I'll start off with just two posts a week for now. I do plan to make it three with a third day of posting about whatever. Maybe I'll make that one 'Whatever Wednesday'. We'll see...baby steps.

See you back here tomorrow so you can go into the weekend feeling good.

~ Ky x



Liz

During a break in filming A Place in the Sun, Taylor chats with her costar Montgomery Clift on the Paramount lot.

Photo source

It doesn't matter how you remember her. The point is, we will ALL remember her.

Those eyebrows. The violet coloured eyes. The strong personality. The very essence of femininity. She oozed it!

Her compassion. Her passion.

I believe she loved deeply. I'm not talking about the men she married. I'm talking about her friends. Although, she did love her men and her jewels.

Liz was a little bit special to me. Not only because I watched her movies as a child, but because we shared a birthday. She was 40 years my senior. Every year, I would remember her on February 27.

RIP Liz.

May the glamour live on in your memory.

~ Ky x

Beautiful Beautiful

Just popping in quickly to let you know that I'm having some computer issues. It's fine by me, this week. I've been rather neglectful of my blogs and my blog reading as a result, but I think I really needed the break. There has been no pressure to put up photos, or take photos for that matter. No pressure to comment on other blog posts. I've found it all quite freeing actually. I had become so into the blog world that I HAD to be on the computer a lot, but since I got sick last week and then my pc crashed, well, lets just say that I feel content right now.

I do want to share one thing with you today. It's my latest favourite song. Francesca Battistelli's Beautiful Beautiful.You know, the sort of song that you just put on repeat cos you can't stop listening to it. I hope you listen to this song. It's beautiful. It really is.

If you go here you can read the lyrics while you listen to the song.

Mercy. Grace. Such awesome, powerful words.

From God, they are most powerful!

~ Ky x

Versatility is the Key

Donna from Comin' Home passed on The Versatile Blogger award to me last week. This is the second award that dear Donna has given me in the past few months. (I think she likes my blog). I'd love to pass it right back to her, but she has already recieved it from someone else and I'm supposed to pass it on, not pass it back.

Thank you Donna!

As you well know, I must share some things about myself that you don't know. Hmmm, I only did that in the last post. Thinking...thinking...thinking...ok

1. I love wearing nail polish on my toenails in summer. I never wear it on my fingernails.

2. I learned to play the flute when I was 13. I can no longer remember how to play it.

3. I love brussell sprouts.

4. I always spot the spelling and grammatical errors in anything I read. Frustratingly, even my own after I have posted on my blog.

5. I love watching all the animated movies...ie Cars, Megamind, Flushed Away... all those kinds of movies.

6. I really enjoy all the dreaming and planning of crafts and projects, but I rarely follow through. Something I'm hoping to change about myself this year. 

7. I have only made pavalova once in my whole life...sad, I know.

There a few blogs I'd like to pass this award onto.

Bayside Rose

The Clip Cafe

Gifts of Serendipity

perpetual one

Cornflakes and Honey

So off you go, drop in and visit these lovely ladies. They always have something interesting to say or share or show.

Have a great day!

~ Ky x





Stylish Blogger Award

Early last week I was a recipient of the Stylish Blogger Award.

The very lovely Pam of Bayside Rose fame blessed me by choosing my blog to pass this award onto.

I enjoy reading other peoples posts when they recieve an award because, part of the deal is that they have to tell things about themselves that we in blogland might not already know about them.

I did enjoy reading Pam's seven things that we didn't know about her.

She's so well travelled and such an interesting person with a gorgeous style all of her own. I've loved reading her blog from the moment I found her.

Go on, go and have a sticky beak at her space. You might just love her too.

Seven things you may not know about me...

1. My favourite tv show is MASH.

2. My second favourite tv show is Mad Men. Actually, maybe 1 and 2 should swap places.

3. I don't like playing Barbies. I will do almost anything to get out of it. Bad Mummy!

4. I have lived in 3 of Austalia's capital cities in my lifetime.

5. I am particularly fond of Thai Red Curry.

6. I'm not particularly fond of fruit. I do eat it, but not often enough. Bad, I know. Give me a plate of steamed veges or an awesome salad and I'm a happy lady, but fruit just doesn't do it for me.

7. I never wear lipstick. I did before I had children, but had to stop cos I was kissing them constantly and babies covered in lipstick isn't a particularly good look. I do love a good gloss though.



Now, I'm supposed to pass this on to 15 blogs, but I'm just going to choose 2.

Taryn Newland

Vintage By Lou Lou

Ladies, you both ooze style and I really enjoy reading your blog posts.

It's up to you what you do with this award, but I'm giving it to you cos you deserve it.

~ Ky x

Been Moving

'Allo Ladies and Gents.

Thought I'd pop into blogland briefly to let you know that we have spent the last week packing, moving house and cleaning. Phwoar! What a job that is when you're on a teeny tiny time limit.

Totally random photo taken in a Melbourne alley cos I don't like posting without photos.

There's a little bit of a story here so if you bear with me I'll tell you in as few words as possible.

Last Monday I answered a knock at the door. It was the postie with registered mail that I had to sign for. In that registered envelope was a Notice to Vacate from the real estate, even though we were about to sign the lease for another 12 months. It turns out our landlord needed his house back asap. So, we had a look on the internet that afternoon, found a house we liked in the same suburb and it just so happened that there was an open inspection at that property at 5 o'clock that afternoon. We went, along with roughly 25 other people. The next morning we put our application for tenancy into the real estate along with 6 other people and that afternoon we recieved a call from the property manager telling us the house was ours.

Now, you can't tell me that wasn't an answer to prayer. The whole process was so quick and flowed so smoothly. It was like this new house was just waiting for us to come along. Also, it's for the same rent as the old place AND it's heaps bigger with a huge inground spa out the back and lots of garden around the fence line.

Are we happy campers? I think so!!!

Our internet was connected just this morning, so I am back on line...yay! I can now see what you've all been up to in the past week. In between bouts of cleaning this place and unpacking of course.

Be good!

~ Ky x

Just Touching Base

This is my first blog post in a week! You may have been wondering where I've been. Well, I've been here, just haven't had any inspiration to post about anything. I've got nothing! I'm totally empty right now. Haven't taken any cool photos. Haven't got much to say.

Actually, I'm struggling with the whole privacy on the web thing. I'm actually a private person, and have realised, derrr, that ANYBODY in the whole world can read what I post on my blog. So, now I'm torn about whether to keep writing my blog and what to actually put up on my blog. I don't need the whole world to know my business. I follow a few blogs where people share their families, their holidays, their ups and downs and comings and goings and I've realised that I don't want to do that. So my dilemma is, what do I put up?

I'm sure I'll figure it out. I'm sure inspiration will come to me. I think I just need a holiday and some rest. I've been ever so tired the past couple of weeks. We'll see.

I do hope you're all enjoying your preparations for Christmas. We are going to have a very quiet Christmas this year. Just the four of us. It will be our first Christmas with just our little family. No stress, no obligation, no expectations. Just us. I'm looking forward to it!

Peace out and catch you soon.

~ Ky x

Green, Green, Green, Green, Green...

Did I ever mention that I love trees?

I dream of living in a VERY leafy suburb. The country would be better, but it has to be the city for now. I'm thinking Blackburn/Forest Hill area would do rather nicely. Dream, dream, dream...

Very fun flying fox cable is cutting my photo in half.

Green, green, green, green and more green!

I LOVE GREEN!

This goose, and I mean that in a very affectionate way, contemplated jumping to that tree branch. It's further away from him than it actually looks from this angle. I was all for it, but his other half objected rather strongly. Shame, would have made for some cool photos, especially if he missed. Bwahahahahahah...

~ Ky x

Just Be

Life gets so busy. It gets stressful. It can very easily unbalance our perspective.

There is a reason that God gave us the Sabbath.

 A special day of the week that we can spend quality time with Him, with our family, with our friends without the worry of work or bills or all things stressful. A day EVERY week where we can regroup.

 He also gave us nature which helps that process. Almost nothing is more relaxing than a sunny afternoon by the water (although I could easily do without the sand). Except maybe being in the green, lush country on a sunny day.

It's the time and a place that puts life back into perspective.

A moment in time when you can just be.

~ Ky x

The Chooks

Monkey and I drove out to the country after dropping Angel off at school this morning. I LOVE the country and hope to live in it one day, but for now, it's just for little visits. It's just so green and lush. It is balm for the eyes of a city dweller. Quenching a thirst that is rarely satisfied in the city. *sigh* I must dawdle on out there more often.

So, we rocked on up to the poultry farm, and I knew it the moment I opened the car door. A blind man would know he was at a chook farm. The stench is appalling!

Monkey opted to stay in the car and play games on my iPhone, so I was on my own. I had to do the choosing all by myself. Wasn't hard really. I just said to the lady, "l'll have 2 brown ones and one light brown one please."

She reached right into that cage and grabbed two of them by their legs. I could tell she had done this before.

As she did that, I was imagining the chooks talking to each other just like they do in animated movies, you know, in English for the movie goers, but if a person in the movie heard them all they'd hear is, "Brrrk, Brrk, Brk, Brrrrk...",

Anyway, so I was imagining them saying something like, "Oh no, they've got Doris!"

Doris yells,"Help, that woman's got my legs! Help, help!". Then Max pipes in,"She's got mine too. That means we're going together. Stick with me. It'll be alright!" All the other chooks were calling out, "Oh, we'll miss you! Bye Doris, Bye Max. Hope you don't become dinner!"

Then into the box they went.

All the lady and I heard was, " Brrk, brrrk, brk, brk, brrrrrk."

Next was the light brown chooks turn. She says,"Get your hands off me woman! If you'd just ask me nicely, I'll walk into that box for you. You don't have to grab me by the legs and put me upside down. JUST ASK ME NICELY!"

Again, all we heard was, "Brk, brk, brrk."

Ok, so back to real life. We now have chooks in our backyard, and yes we named them Max(Maxine), Doris and Penelope. Angel and I wanted Max to be Patsy, but the boys insisted on naming one of them and they chose Max. That's ok, I will refer to her as Maxine on occassion as it is more feminine.

Aren't they cute? Well as cute as any generic brown chook can be. If you look closely at their eyes though, they looked really freaked out. Like they've had too much speed or something.

My cute, freaked out looking chooks!

That egg was laid in the box on the way home. The first egg! It's proudly sitting in the fridge. I just might have it for breaky...poached.

I'm hoping there will be three more eggs tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see.

~ Ky x

I Need Your Help

I need to tell you that I plan to change the name and the look of my blog...again.

I want to find a blog name that is REALLY me. Something I can adopt as truly mine for the years to come.

The problem is that I am having trouble thinking of something.  Some of the names I have come up with are 'The Willow Garden', but that's already taken. 'Camillia Lane', but I've decided that is sounds like a handmade soap company. 'Chocolate Cake', that just doesn't feel right either.

Maybe it could be some of the words that I use a lot like 'Seriously...' or 'I Reckon!' or 'Stop Fighting!!!' or 'No Hitting!' or 'I Need A Cuppa' ...

 It has to be just right. A perfect fit.

You have all learned a lot about me over time. You know what my interests are...mostly. You know my personality...mostly.

So, I am asking that you put your thinking caps on and give me some suggestions, keeping in mind some of the things that define Ky. Here's a list of interests if you need some inspiration...

photography, gardens, vintage stuff, european/british things, op shops, sewing, the country, pretty things, funny things, girly things even though that is balanced out with a love of 'boy' things.

You get the general idea. I don't care what you come up with. Just give me something, please! It may not be right for me, but it might inspire me to think of just what I need.

HELP!!!

~ Ky x

Sunny Days, Monkey and Eat, Pray, Love

I've been feeling a bit all over the place of late. Happy, content, tired, very ordinary, melancholy, joyful, cheeky, snoozie, indifferent...and the list of ups and downs goes on. Mostly though, I've been feeling good. I would have to say that it has a lot to do with the unbelievably gorgeous weather we've been having. Clear skies, sun, soft breezes, warmth without humidity. It's just divine really. I find it hard not to feel content in some way on such a gorgeous day.

As usual too, I think often about things that I would like to blog about. I write paragraphs in my head of different topics that I feel the need to share with the world and now that I am in front of the computer, typing, I can't think of one of the very important topics to share. That's so typical of me. So scatterbrained sometimes.

And now I'm being interrupted by the 3 year old Monkey asking me a barrage of questions. So many questions...all the time. Does he think I'm an encyclopedia or something? I can assure you that I'm not. Far from it in fact. Unfortunately, when his questioning goes just that little bit too far I end up saying either, "I don't know." or "Just because...". Hardly satisfying answers for an inquisitive mind, but that's all I've got.

He just saw this photo being uploaded to this post and put his hand on his chest and exclaimed, "I'm loading!". Kids these days!

I don't even have any cool photos to share cos I haven't been anywhere to take any. Sorry, so boring of me. Actually I do have one photo I think is pretty cool. This is at a cottage, which name eludes me right now, at Mitchum. Notice anything different about this door?

That's right! No door handle! I was going to save this photo for a post where I could use it to illustrate a point about not being able to 'open the door' or 'can't get in' or 'being unable to reach out', but I'm just not feeling that clever at the moment.

 I went on a girls night out on Saturday night for dinner and a movie and totally forgot to break out the camera to take some photos. Oh well. We only talked and ate and then watched a movie. Nothing too exciting to show. It was fun though. We saw Eat, Pray, Love. I haven't read the book, but after watching the movie I can say without a doubt that the book is better. The movie really lacked something. It didn't speak to me. It didn't touch me. I was a little disappointed to say the least. To me, it felt like the movie was made in a hurry or not enough thought had gone into adapting it from the book. Not enough depth to the main characters, or maybe it was bad acting. Don't know. Can't quite put my finger on it. I'm hoping Lilian of Mothering Misadventures will critique it when she has seen it. She's great at that sort of thing.

Anyhoo, I need to go and cuddle the Monkey. He is requiring his mother's attention.
Hope you all have a lovely day!

~ Ky x






 

It's A Special Day Today...Twice!

Today is a special day...for two reasons.

First of all, it is my Mum's birthday.

Happy Birthday Mum!!!!

I do love you so very much! xxx

Second of all, it's also our wedding anniversary.

 We made it to 9 years! Woohoo! That's a record for me!

Seriously though, it's a very special thing that we have made it this far.

It's been a turbulant 9 years.

I am so grateful that we have put in the effort to work at this relationship.

It's been hard at times...REALLY hard, but that hard work has payed off!

I have God to thank for this very special man that I get to call my husband. I have often wondered over the years what God was thinking when He put us two together. Recently though, it has dawned on me. I am with this man because there is noone like him and there is noone that could possibly put up with me, live with me or love me as deeply as he does.

He knows me better than I know myself...almost. He can read me like a book. He knows how to make me smile. He also knows how to make me angry. He has a fantastic laugh. He looks after me with everything he's got. He's patient with me. He's kind to me. He's thoughtful towards me. He sacrifices for me. He has incredibly broad shoulders that carry the burdens of our little family. He's forgiving. He's lots of fun. He has so much common sense. He's one of the hardest working men I have ever known. He's smart. Really smart! He's not a tall man, but he more than makes up for it with his personality. He is a man of good character. He is loyal. He loves his family and friends fiercly. He's passionate. He is an AMAZING dad. He's determined to do whatever it takes to make my life and the lives of our children full and happy. He's cute and he's mine!

Most importantly, he knows how to love me!

Happy Anniversay Baby!!!

I love you so much more than I did yesterday and I look forward to growing old with you. xxx

~ Ky x

Elevensies In The Sunshine

It was the most beautiful, sunny day yesterday. A cool breeze blew and we still had to wear a jacket, but the sun was just glorious!

Monkey and I had elevensies outside, in the sunshine, together. I drank black, Lady Grey tea, while he ate bikkies.

 I sat and looked out at the appalling state of my back yard. It's very hard to get motivated to do something about the lawn and garden when it's cold and grey so much. I do really enjoy the cold weather, but I think I must concede and admit that it is time for a lot of spring sunshine to lift my mood and motivate me to make something pretty out of this weedy, overgrown yard.

I need lots of fast growing herbs and pretty flowers in the garden to make sitting out the back a most joyous event.

Lots of colour, loads of green and a beautifully manicured lawn.

I NEED it!

So c'mon spring! Give me some sunshiny days...more than one in a row!!!

~ Ky x

Just A Little Whinge

Some days I just want to find a quiet little corner and hide there, totally undisturbed, for a few long hours. I am the full time carer of one very energetic, often disobedient, problem solving(which is a problem in itself), curious, very loud, mess making three year old boy. I am also full time carer (when she is not at school) to a very talkative(I swear she could talk under water), imaginative, refuses to eat fruit, sometimes disobedient, impatient, but loving five year old girl.

This mothering gig is really hard work! It does my head in so often. I'm not a very patient person and have a bad temper to boot. Throw in being tired often and a moody temperament and you get how this picture can be sometimes. I'm learning to count to ten, or just throw my hands up in the air, go get the wipes and clean up the mess without saying a word. There is not as much yelling as there used to be(from me that is). Hmmm, I'm painting quite the negative picture here, aren't I? I shall stop that right now!

I am in love with my children. I often just watch them doing whatever they do. Listen to their conversation between each other from another room and giggle to myself cos it's so funny. I laugh to myself when Monkey is getting into trouble and tries to distract the adult by raising his eyebrows up and down or winking at them. It's very hard to hold a straight face with him sometimes. Like the time I caught him chucking stuff out of the second draw in the kitchen onto the floor, I said " My goodness mate, that's so naughty!" He said without looking at me or stopping, "Yes it is". I just had to walk away cos I started giggling. His response was so honest and so funny the way he said it. He's such a clown. I will add that he had to put everything back into the draw and with a little threat from the wooden spoon was happy to oblige. Angel is a lot easier to discipline. She can be just as naughty, but she is older and understands consequences a lot better.

Am I being more positive now? I do love them, and I do love being their mum. I just need a little down time every now and then. Down time without interruption.

~ Ky x

New Pegs

These are my new pegs. I used them for the first time yesterday. The old ones were brittle and breaking from years of use. The old ones have served me well. I know pegs aren't a very exciting thing. In fact, they are one of those tools we use often that we don't even think about and just take for granted, but, as I picked up the first of my new pegs and hung some washing I felt the difference. Clean, smooth pegs. Not brittle and rough. It was a tiny joy in my day. Who knew that new pegs could put a smile on my face, but they did. It's just one of those little things that most people wouldn't even think about, but it made hanging the washing a little more enjoyable. Silly, I know, but hey, that's what makes the world go round.

The Neighbours Window

This is the view from my kitchen window. Almost every time I am working in the kitchen and look out the window, I wonder who lives next door, what their furniture looks like, what they do with their time, if they are looking out their window at me in my kitchen.
It's the same when I am sitting at a cafe or at the shopping centre, people watching. I look at the faces of people, the expression on their face, what they are wearing, how they carry themselves, if they are with someone else and I wonder what they do, where they are going, why they are here.
Everyone has a story whether it be interesting or not. I suppose most stories are interesting because it's different to mine. I often wish I was an extrovert and was comfortable striking up conversations with complete strangers. I would ask them all sorts of questions about themselves and ask them to tell me their story. I love to hear people's stories. If people are willing to open up about their life, I could sit and listen for hours. I find people so very interesting, unfortunately, a lot of people are too wary or in a hurry to sit and talk and share their story. Unfortunately, it is completely outside my comfort zone to strike up a conversation with someone I don't know. Because of this, I know I am missing out. I'm missing out on viewing life from someone elses perspective, from seeing things from someone elses point of view. I'm missing out on hearing the adventures of someone elses journey. Maybe, somehow, I can reinvent myself as an extrovert so that I can enjoy talking to people I don't know, well, listen to them anyway. I'd rather listen than talk.
Maybe one day soon I will work up the courage to go next door and meet the people who live behind that window that I see from my kitchen, and maybe I will find that they have a great story to tell. I really hope so. I love a good story!

Here's to Twenty Ten!

The new year is upon us...again. They seem to go faster and faster. Is time actually speeding up?
I'm glad it's a new year. I love a new year. The hope of a fresh start. The anticipation of new projects. The anticipation of self growth. The hope that something REALLY good will happen this year.
I have things I want to do this year. Some of them are the same plans that I had a year ago and never quite motivated myself to do them. I'm determined to do them this year. Life is passing me by, and I'm letting it. I'm tired of wasting my potential. Time for me to grab it and hang on for the ride.