nostalgia

Showing my age here, but I suddenly had a yearning to hear some very old songs tonight...

I started with some movie themes... 

The theme from Exodus. I saw that movie when I was just a kid and that music stuck with me... 

The theme from Love Story. Ditto. Nadia's theme... kind of ruined forever by being the theme for The Young and the Restless... :(

Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle. I have no idea what movie I heard that song in, but its such a beautiful love song...

Ok. Being me, I googled it. A TV movie from the seventies called She Lives! I don't even remember the movie, I just remember the song... and that feeling of intense love. You know, being a teenager and believing in the kind of love Romeo and Juliet had.

Now there's a movie theme which gives me goosebumps - A Time For Us, What is a Youth. And what a beautiful movie... the Franco Zeffirelli movie, not the later ones. That movie is a classic, with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting. There was no way to improve on that!

When I was a "tween" I made a friend who lived across the street, she was older and had a lot of grown up music (ie more grown up than The Osmonds and The Partridge Family). I'd borrow LPs from her. Her records and parties where they used to play the cool 'rock' stuff was where my musical education started.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Doors, Led Zeppellin, Deep Purple...

...Bread. Now there's a band with lovely love songs... If, Make it with you, Everything I own... 

Ahh... Memories... 

Nazareth, Love Hurts...

Dancing close with a boy, in the semi darkness in someone's living room. Swaying to the rhythm, feeling the music in every heartbeat, the yearning, the certainty that only you and Juliet knew about true love. And the feeling that what you were doing was going to get you grounded.

Santana's Europa...talk about hot slow dancing!

Holding hands. The first kiss...

So here I sit, doing computer stuff and taking a trip down memory lane. 

Since I've already given away too much about my age, I guess I can confess to the world at large that I had the biggest crush on Donny Osmond. 

And David Cassidy.

Come on! This guy was gorgeous! (I think I may still have a crush on him...)

Be still my beating heart!

Is there anything as precious as the innocence of youth? I'd play my Osmonds or Partridge Family albums and dream of kissing the boy on the cover...

Yeah. 

Pathetic.

And then, as I was looking for photos of my old heart-throbs I noticed something very disturbing...

Doesn't this photo of Donny Osmond remind you of someone?

 YEP! I'm not the only one to notice it!

I'm feeling a little sick now.

I have to go...

z

the upcoming trip and my blog

I thought I'd start preparing the blog for my upcoming trip to Greece. Things will be different for a while so I wanted to prepare you for the type of thing you can expect while I'm away.

For one thing you'll see so many photos like this that you'll want to strangle me slowly:

You'll also see plenty like this:

You'll see photos of scrumptious food, read to eat:

Or food not-quite so ready (note the good use of barbed wire!):

In other words, you'll see the kind of holiday photos you'd expect to see from a trip to the Greek islands.

But, being me, you'll also see photos like these - slightly different, interesting and offbeat - rejoicing in colour, texture and garden implements:

I love the old, the worn, the falling down. As much as I hate seeing old buildings deteriorating and falling apart, they make for such beautiful photos:

I love the crumbling stone buildings with their chipped and discoloured whitewash, the faded paint... and the new signs:

There will also be photos of cute, fun examples of DIY and re-purposing, like this old shutter menu board:

Or these gorgeous old metal windchimes:

 

And of course things like this cute little rocking horse outside a shop on the market street:

 

You've been warned. 

Did you know my blog started as a way to keep in touch with everyone when I went to Greece 3 years ago? It was about the holiday, my family, my memories and finding myself. Then the trip was over and I started a new phase in my life, moving to the farm with Wayne and the blog transformed into a diary of our lives on the farm and my growing obsession with DIY, craft and decorating.

In preparation for the trip I've changed my blog header... That's an old door I photographed on my last trip. Love those old door latches, they are so Paros to me. I really must see if I can find some to bring back.

Man... I hope I find all kinds of goodies to bring back. 

I'm gonna need a bigger boat suitcase. 

This trip I'll probably share photos and stories like I did last time, but I'll also be keeping a keen eye out for the type of things I've come to love so much: chippy paint, old doors and windows, latches, locks and handles, old tools... 

And hopefully beg, borrow and steal buy as much stuff as I can carry justify afford to bring back.

So, are you with me? Are you up to meeting my wonderful, crazy, funny family? 

If you are, then stay tuned!

Only a couple more weeks before I go!

z

a quick pinboard

Yes. I'm getting ready for a trip. I'm drowning in grooming appointments, chores, housework (which I've successfully avoided so far) and all manner of things hanging over my head with a deadline of June 23.

Yet I can't help myself.

This morning, between grooming appointments, I finished this pinboard for Wayne's office space. I don't know if you remember I moved Wayne's office into the living room. Some might call it banishment, but I call it relocating him to a space more likely to be used!

(Btw, it looks nothing like in the photos on that post. Its now got a more relaxed look. Some might call it 'lived in'... I call it plain messy.)

When we first moved to the farm we thought we'd share the office, but Wayne never used it. He'd use the kitchen table... which got old really fast, let me tell you! So I decided I'd create an office space for him in the living room where he could be warm (near the heater), see out through the window to the front yard, watch TV and be near his favourite reading chair. Everything close at hand.

One of the things I used to have in the real office was a bulletin board. I've always had bulletin boards in my office no matter where I lived. They're so handy. I had one in the office here till I bought my gorgeous antique cabinet and had to remove it. It was sitting in the casita for ages. I decided to use about half of it to make Wayne a smaller pinboard for his office space since he really loves having one. The rest of it I think I'll put up in the grooming room to pin up photos of customer dogs.

I had this old frame but it was an unattractive colour so I sprayed it white. I had considered repainting the pinboard but I left it. Its the same colour as the feature wall at the other end of the living room so its ok. Dark grey. You won't see much of it once Wayne pins everything on it. 

I think its his entire filing system... 

Anyway, I found the bulletin board material easy to cut with a jigsaw, then I used my staple gun to hold it into the frame. I reinforced it with some wire, and voila!

Meanwhile I wanted something I could put pins in for him. Something cute but big enough for him to get his big manly fingers in easily...

This little old tin belongs to Wayne, no idea where he got it, but its now back in his space, put to good use.

There. One last (??) craft project before my trip.

We'll see... Maybe the last...

z

avoiding housework

What can I say?

I've had 6 days off work and I've successfully resisted the urge to do housework every single day!

I'm so proud of myself.

hmph.

The house is a mess. Not helped by the smoked oyster bath Wayne just gave the hallway when he tripped over Barney while carrying a snack to the living room.

So, what have I been doing you ask?

Well, I've been busy. Doing STUFF.

I did some washing. AND brought it in. Mom would be so proud...*

Sorted out things that needed sorting before my trip to Greece. Writing lists of things I need to organise before I go and then trying to organise them. Making piles of clothes to take or not take with me on the trip. Reading Game of Thrones book 3 part 2. 

(Addictive... Did I mention I got a Kindle for the trip? Love it!)

Caring for the poodles who both decided to get some kind of pyoderma at the same time, necessitating trips to the vet and multiple pills, washing poodle areas with Malaseb and other indignities.

Had to take the new car in for a small fix to the seatlbelts (under warranty).

Had to take myself into the doctor for "women's complaints"...

I always wondered about that expression... does complaining about men qualify?

One thing I haven't done (well, besides housework), is ride Cas. So much for my new horse!

Tomorrow all three horses get their hooves trimmed and Wayne has promised me that if he finishes his chores we'll go riding on the weekend. 

I'm not holding my breath. I've seen his list of chores. And I did not add a single item to it!

I won't ride alone. 

Ok, I would ride alone but I can't saddle her alone. I'm just not strong enough to do up a girth. With my dodgey right arm/wrist there's no way I can tighten up a girth enough so that when I put one foot in the stirrup the saddle stays put. If I tried it the saddle would slip right under her very round belly and deposit me on the ground. 

I know a lot of people who'd pay to see that... and come to think of it, I could use the money. I have an overseas trip coming up you know!

 z

* That's an 'in joke' which my followers from the early days will recognise as relating to a story from my last trip to Greece. Which brings up another point... what will happen to the blog while I'm overseas? 

Well... I'll continue posting, but the posts will probably be a lot more about the trip, my experiences, family and other funny stories than about all the wierd and wonderful things I do and make.  I plan to include a whole lot more photos that relate to what the blog has evolved into: thrifting, rustic stuff, rust, old stuff, handmade stuff, etc. However I'll also include a ton of photos of blue sparkly waters, sandy beaches and things to make you all sick with envy.

You're welcome.