BRUNO'S SCULPTURAL GARDEN

5 years ago at Bruno's sculptural garden 

To me this garden was very spiritual. We traveled there 5 years ago after l had just found out l had breast cancer. While l was waiting in the doctors surgery l was reading in a magazine about this beautiful old town called Marysville, nestled amongst the hills. With tree ferns as high as our house, unique shops and Bruno's garden and gallery. l said to my husband that l would love to go their one day.
Before the operation l wasn't coping very well so my  husband said "Come on lets get ready we are going to Marysville".
We explored this beautiful old town and then headed to Bruno's garden. There was a light mist as we walked around under our umbrella's surrounded by enormous tree ferns and life size clay statues (the photos tell the story).
l knew l could face anything. The world seemed very beautiful at this spiritual place.

-Now 5 Years Later -

We are back but a lot has happened in those 5 years.

 Firstly l have survived but Marysville hasn't. 

3 years ago a raging bushfire went through killing 135 people and the only thing left standing in the main street was the bakery. Only a few homes were left standing, the rest was total devastation including Bruno's studio gallery and the garden.

Also 60% of his statues were gone, the heat beng so intense they had exploded but that was 3 years ago.

Bruno decided to stay as did many others.

They are rebuilding the town and Bruno has re-opened his garden, the trees and plants have started to grow and the remaining statues have been restored. He has rebuilt thanks to his many artist freinds and is almost ready to re-open the gallery.

The saddest part was that he wasn't insured. The insurance company wouldn't insure him as his large kiln was in the studio. 

He has made many more statues in the last 3 years. 

They are all very brave people to stay and rebuild.

Photos on my Blog.

l have so many blogs (stories) l have written, over 30 in fact, but they all need photos.

Especially some of the arty gardens l have been to ,the antiques l have found, strange happenings and 

the new mosaic table l have made.

But photos when l transfer them to my blog, look like abstract paintings, with bright coloured lines

through them.

Maybe l can start a new trend as they are very bright.

My family computer teachers are coming to see us for Fathers Day.

Thats 2 weeks away l'll have 50 blogs by then.

Thanks for being patient, l might have worked it out by then!

The Golden Wattle

The Golden Wattle "Australia's Commonwealth National Flower"
(our green and gold colours)

My walking schedule is a bit messed up now. l used to walk at 1/4 to 7 and watch Martha Stewart on television on from 7-20 until 8-20 (as l have stated on my Martha Stewart blog (story). Now they have changed it and put it back an hour (6-20 to 7-20)

l like walking early in the morning,
l feel like l have the whole world to myself as there aren't many people around.

To-day l drove to our natural reserve called "Cussen Park"

The wattle trees and shrubs are glorious, sunshine yellow,the flower soft and fluffy like a little chicken
Our evergreen wattle will with stand just about any condition-droughts,winds and bushfires.

The bright yellow pom pom flowerheads explode into flower in the spring, although there are a few that bloom all year.
There are over 760 different types of wattle as seen on our Australian stamps over the years.

 

 

 

The 1st of September each year is Australia Wattle Day.

Licorice Allsorts?

I have always loved licorice allsorts.

The taste, the colours, separating them, and dismantling them piece by piece

and then savouring every bite.

I always get licorice allsorts with my birthday presents, and my mother (who is 91)

always has them on the table, in a lovely round carousel tin container.

My grandchildren don't like them so that's a real blessing.

While I wait for my cup of tea or coffee l make my mothers tin a little lighter.

2 months ago on my hubbys birthday, one of his presents was a pair of jocks (underwear)

 The material being licorice allsorts.

Was my 24 year old daughter trying to tell me something?

CHANGING MY BLOG !

l have just come back from Melbourne carrying my laptop and luggage back and forth on the train.

My patient daughter and granddaughter have been giving me computer lessons.

They have taught me so much into the early hours of the morning, staying awake with coffee and chocolate.

They have been teaching me for 4 months now, l couldn't even type before that.

Do you like the changes to my blog ?

  So clever, just to press the mouse (curser) on one of the little boxes and you can watch an older post (story), and down on the right hand side go into the little cataloged pictures and do the same.
Where would l be without my wonderful teachers!

LIVE, LIVE, LIVE

l knew l had a 10 o"clock appointment to-day at the Shepparton Hospital.

It was my 6 monthly visit with the oncology doctors that come from Melbourne. 

l knew from experience that it would be a 1 to 2 hour wait and l am now very organized with my take away cappuccino and my puzzle books (I'm always trying to win something). 

lts a sad place to wait. l met a lovely lady who looked so well but had found out only 3 weeks ago that she had a large malignant tumor on her liver plus small ones around it. All I could do was offer her words of encouragement.

l was called in and the elderly doctor had a big smile on his face. "Rhonda, l have good news for you. All your tests have come back clear and you have reached the 5 year safe period. From having secondary aggressive cancer which was at extreme high risk, 5 years later you now only have a 15% chance of it coming back again. You are a miracle! Go and celebrate girl!" 

After giving him a big hug l went out to my car where l wept for a few minutes and then l went to the Art Gallery for a much needed coffee.

l told my husband the good news (l could not have got through it without him) and rang my 4 children and my mother.

My hubby took me to a lovely eating place in Tatura called The Gallery for afternoon tea. We treated ourselves with my favorite delicious sticky date pudding with cream and ice-cream and great hot cappuccino's of course. 

So how do I feel about the news?

I still don't know what to think or how to express myself about it.

After I let it sink in and take about 100 big breathes I'll get back to you.

MY PANDORA ANGEL

My daughter-in-law to be bought me my precious Pandora Bracelet for Christmas.

Also a blue and silver charm and a silver angel.

My hubby and sister-in-law have added to my collection and I now have 13 lovely charms.

We were invited to a wedding and as l was wearing pink l thought l will change my blue charms to pink.

Taking them off l thought how dull it looked. 

Toothpaste! l heard toothpaste was a brilliant jewellery cleaner.

Removing my charms one slipped out of my hands.

Oh no -Hells bells it's gone down the plug hole.

Checking my collection l realized it was my angel.

My hubby came home and l explained what happened. He said "Maybe your angel is still in the curve of the pipe under the sink (the elbow)." 

As he was pulling it apart l said "Maybe my piece of gold might be lodged in there to."

Our Rushworth friends visited us over a month ago and bought us a little piece of gold to put on my "Rushworth Heritage Mosaic".(That's another story - in the next blog) .As they had stayed for lunch and we had talked for many hours when they left l hurriedly washed all the dishes.

Too late! l remembered the gold had been on the plate.

Back to my angel!

The pipes under the sink are removed and in the curve of that pipe was my angel- a miracle.

Also as my husband rolled his finger through the silt he found a tiny piece of gold.

l was meant to lose my angel to find my gold.

SUPRE SHOPPING

My granddaughter has found this great Warehouse with bargains galore - for us girls of course!

My husband and I traveled up from the country to Melbourne for a visit. 

My grandson is a chef so after a delicious lunch the boys went in one direction and we went in the other direction to the Supre Factory Warehouse in Broadmeadows.

l have never seen so many clothes. As my birthday is approaching my daughter and granddaughter both gave me $30 each towards it. 

We had a trolley to wheel around so everything l liked went into it until it was overflowing.

I could take 5 items at a time into the fitting room. When I'd finished trying on 5 they would pass me another 5 items. 

There was a lot of laughter as only 7 went on the no pile and 21 in the yes yes pile. I ended up buying 21 articles of clothing for $61.25 cents. 

15 @ $2.50 = $37.50    

5 @ $3.75 = $18.75    

1 @ $5 

What a great afternoon!

We went back to their place and l made scones that we had with homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream.

I will be sharing my scone recipe with you all in my next post!

SWAN COLLECTION

My grand daughter came to stay for 3 days. 

She is teaching me to skype and blog and has so much patience.

The swan earrings she is wearing are just exquisite.

They made me think of my beautiful swan collection.

l think my love of swans started when I was very small as my favourite story book was The Ugly Duckling. He turned into a magnificent swan of course.

Most of my Swan Collection came from the 1940's era. They must have been very in vogue then. I have 2 large ( to die for ) old swan paintings.

At the time I bought these, my daughter had an Antique Shop so l had great fun going to the Clearing Sales and Antique Estate Auctions with her. 

I was overjoyed when l bid and won these 2 paintings.

I have a life size black swan in my garden. It isn't real of course, it's a ceramic mold that I painted in one of my art classes.

Swans mate forever and are protective loving parents.