about me

Sunday 11 January 2015

Monkey mahem


There is something fascinating about a circus even now but 50 years ago they were mysterious, exciting, smelly, colourful and totally irresistible to a young girl when the opportunity to do a fashion photo shoot at one of the two large Australian circuses arose
Models, photographer, and me with elephants, Tigers in cages and clowns...oh it was such fun and the people of the circus were a delight, they were like a large and united family so when the matriarch invited us to her trailer for afternoon tea we accepted with alactrity!
as we sat in her incredibly comfortable and spacious accommodation something kept poking me in the back, I moved around in my seat only to find that whatever it was had moved to my shoulder blades. Immersed in the conversation going on around me I really wasn't taking a lot of notice, just registering some discomfort...that is until....the lobe of my ear was pinched tight and something very bony was stuck in my eye!
Apparently my reaction was hilarious, I can't imagine why as I'm sure it's quite normal to jump up and scream when you suddenly find a very small monkey attached to your face!!!!

It turned out that this small scamp had taken a liking to me, which apparently was unusual, it had been abandoned by its mother and was now in residence in this immaculate trailer.

For the next hour I adjusted hems, pinned dresses, directed poses and generally irritated the photographer all whilst that small creature perched on my shoulder and investigated my face which did mean I had a finger stuck in my ear, my mouth, up my nose and in my eyes!

I was very young, that's my excuse anyway, so when offered, I accepted and left at the end of the day with monkey in tow.

The reception was mixed when I arrived home.
My grandmother was easy, she always was, my mother was concerned about where to keep it and my father was not a happy camper at all but eventually it  was settled and we introduced it to the litter tray found a large tea chest for a bed and when we went to bed I went to sleep with my arm hanging over the edge of the tea chest and my finger held in an up breakable grip.

When I woke in the morning our positions had not changed, my finger still in that amazing grip even though it was sound asleep.. How sweet it was, how innocent. I decided it was not going to be abandoned again, poor little thing......

We lived in what my father described as decaying grandeur full of antique furniture, chandeliers, velvet drapes and hand painted wallpapers. But for all that it was a comfortable family home that was always full of family, friends and any stray animal that came along so really there was no reason for this little mite not to have found a home at last....

My eternally accepting Grandmother never raised her voice, was never shocked, never cross.
I have one of those names that can be shortened in a variety of ways and was rarely used in its entirety so I knew something terrible had happened when my full name was called in the very loud voice of my Grandmother

The scamp and I raced downstairs

We were ushered into the lounge room

Oh dear

Oh dear

Have you ever seen a chandelier hanging upside down?
Velvet ribbons had replaced the drapes
We no longer had a tufted chaise longue!

It would appear that 8 inches  of monkey could do an enormous amount of damage as it had had fun swinging, slipping, leaping, hanging and sliding whilst we had slept

As it turned out the Matriarch was not surprised to see me later that morning and seemed to take in her stride my absolute turn around when it came to supplying the forever home for the scamp and
she was not surprised I had been given the ultimatum
"It goes or you go"

Monkeys, it turns out, are not meant to be pets.


Thursday 30 October 2014

a new start



with a little bit of luck
and a whole lot of
hard work



we just may have this sad old house ready for sale in a few weeks
Over the last three years it, and I, have become more and more tired
and we decided it was time to do something about it.

SO

next week we will have 27 young tradies working on the exterior and the interior
and then back on the market it goes
hopefully looking and feeling a whole lot happier!!

Then I just have to work on me!!!

think good thoughts



Tuesday 24 June 2014

It's been a very Long Time


Is there anyone still here?

It's been such a long time since 
I have been here
so it won't really surprise me if you have all
gone a wandering!

It is so long that I can't work out how to add 
a picture so 
please be patient while
I learn how to Blog again!!!!




Tuesday 6 November 2012

...just sometimes



Just sometimes


the silence is so deafening
that no sound can penetrate it


Monday 3 September 2012

First love and memories


They are playing April Love and
Pat Boone is singing

I am 14
it is the Christmas School holidays
and we are staying at our beach house

There is a boy
his name is Morton
(don't remember his last name!!!)
he invites me to the pictures

My first real date with a boy
we watch April Love
we share jaffas
we hold hands

Ohh the excitement!!!

My parents sit directly behind us two rows back!!!!!!!

They walk home behind us!!!!

The next day we go back home
heart is broken!


Do you remember your first date?
do certain songs bring back memories for you?

Thursday 9 August 2012

A book, chocolates and miserable weather.....!



Freezing wind and falling rain
so
 I sit here with these



But it is very hard to read
when your face is awash with tears

and they have been flowing almost since I opened the first page of this
incredible, amazing, beautiful book!

I have also giggled,
 climbed barbed wire fences to grab an apple or two
and tasted every bite

I have learned about fear, anger, bigotry and hate
I have learned about friendship, love, honesty and decency

I have indulged in words, wonderful, magical words
I have drowned in words that made my heart sing
I have walked with death for 584 pages
and I could not stop!


I honestly do not know what else to say about this book
except that I loved every word

"It was Monday and they walked
on a tightrope to the sun"
                               Markus Zusak

Have you read it?


*I do like to recommend books if I love them
but I don't know if you like my taste
and if you don't it is rather a waste of time and I will find something else!!!!!


So

If you haven't and you do because of this post
please come back and let me know what you thought



Wednesday 8 August 2012

I will not Covet.....!


I will not covet......

I will not covet.......


I truly will not covet.....


I wonder....

do you think I could whip them of her feet without her knowing?

perhaps not!!!!

I wonder....

will she sell them to me when
she gets sick of them?

I .......will....not....covet

Oh, who am I kidding
you all know I just

 WANT THEM!!!!!!!!!



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