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In February, this little creature came into our lives.

Hello!

Born in early November last year, he arrived from the breeder a bit worse for wear: our local vet confirmed he was underweight and treated him for an evidenced flea infestation and a suspected case of worms.

Little Mangy Mouse

But with lots of TLC (not to mention sleep and food)…

..he’s thriving.

Such a funny, sweet creature, who chirrups and chats away. Considering Mainecoons can reach up to 16kg, let’s hope he stays that way 🙂 .

Happy Place

“In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream –
Lingering in the golden dream –
Life, what is it but a dream?”

A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky – Lewis Carroll

Photo by Belinda Price-Sinclair

Back from Behind

I like to do things backwards, don’t ask me why.

When I read a print newspaper (yes, some of us still do), I often start at the back page and work my way forward. Same with magazines. I can’t help it. (Although, I haven’t yet acquired that peculiar habit of reading the end of a book first. Horrors!).

Anyhow, I don’t like the thought of taking a blog break without announcing it upfront, but, somehow, my unintended break got away with me. So I should have told you that I was taking a blog break. But I didn’t. So now you know.

I’m back from behind.

As if you’ve noticed.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Between

We’ve had this one before, and I am studying for an exam, so a re-post this week. For more entries to this week’s WPC, see The Daily Post.

Between

is the breath between
life and death,
the laughter between
the light and hereafter,
the whispers
between love and fractures.

Between
the glass reflections
float words consequential,
some, kind, reverential,
others, profane and mean,
drifting down, unseen,

on matchstick people
and their matchbox lives

us

breathing it in
like asbestos

Take care
with the words
between

——–bb

Class of Whatever

“Banker,
gay,
no kids”,
he says,
as he snips my fringe.
“That’s what I tell them,
then take it from there.”

We agree
school reunions
are best avoided.

Weeky Photo Challenge: Good Morning, Big 5Oh!

“If one is lucky enough to be blessed with good health, growing older shouldn’t be something to complain about. It’s not a surprise, we knew it was coming−make the most of it.”

Betty White

“Just remember that a 6-year-old would get tired from doing a lot of what you do. I don’t see no 6-year-olds walking the golf course! Hell no!”

My niece Jayde

Like any self-preserving 50-year-old, I partied yesterday so I could have today to recover

For more entries to last week’s WPC, see The Daily Post

Sunny side up

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

“Breakfast tomorrow?”

“Yes.

“Our little weekend rituals
make me happy,
secure.
And prevent me from running
from the planet, screaming.”

OK, maybe I didn’t articulate that last line, hehe.

Weekly Photo Challenge: A Day in My Life

This was today – catching up on university stuff – which I enjoyed, but it doesn’t make for a terribly exciting photo subject.

Never mind – it’s nearly champagne o’clock Downunder, and tomorrow’s another holiday (and golf). 😀

For more inspired entries to this week’s photo challenge, see The Daily Post.

I particularly enjoyed these five:

A Nomad in the Land of Nizwa

Brad’s Blog

northumbrian : light

Butterfly Mind

Flickr Comments

Love’s Journey

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

We know
it’s our unclaimed baggage
at the station,

more than a few lockers full.

We don’t go there,
travel light,

well enough,
without it.

But impossible journeys
plague
our dreams.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Home

“Home is where the heart is.
Home is so remote.
Home is just emotion
sticking in my throat.

Let’s go to your place.”

Lene Lovich

The decor of this Sydney restaurant is a colourful reminder of the linguistically and culturally rich country that was my home from birth to mid-life.

My favourite from this week’s challenge was this one from Jo Bryant.

See The Daily Post for more photographic interpretations of ‘Home’.

Happy New Year

We ended what has been a rather mixed year

of highs and lows

in a very good place:

 

with precious family and wonderful friends on our beautiful harbour.

Happy New Year, Fellow Bloggers!

Hope you have a wonderful 2013

Thanks for your community.

🙂

xoxox

How did you start the New Year?

Merry Christmas

Divine Dementia

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

So many days
we are beyond bereft

at some ancient
god’s puzzled mumbles
beneath the night lamp,

his tremulous finger-fumbles
with jigsaw fragments
of our lives,

his fearful look of surprise
at the countless missing pieces
of his Master Plan,

unaware of the devil dog
chewing at his feet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/nyregion/gunman-kills-20-children-at-school-in-connecticut-28-dead-in-all.html?hp&_r=0

http://jmgoyder.com/2012/12/15/children/

http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/an-unblossomed-bloom/

http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/no-humour-today/

http://susandanielspoetry.com/2012/12/14/body-bags/

Taking a break

Due to work and university commitments, I’ll be taking a break from blogging for a  while.

Waratah – Blue Mountains
Floral Emblem of New South Wales
©beeblu

Happy Blogging

See you on the other side

🙂

Search Engine Poetry: Gabrielle Bryden

Blogging friend, sublime poet, awesome mom and aspiring volcanologist Gabrielle Bryden has posted this found poem on her blog in response to my Search Engine Poetry challenge.

I met Gabrielle in my early days of blogging and LOVE her poetry, which ranges from the serious to the hilarious.

She also keeps us entertained with posts about her life in Queensland with her hero – Shirl, son – Michael, daughter – Tessa, and comical dogs – Jazz and Sheba, and with her photos of the weird and wonderful critters we find on this strange continent.

She has a wicked sense of humour (read her post tags) and a fighting spirit (I wouldn’t want to mess with her ;-)).
And in the 80s, she had Big Hair.

Gabrielle’s son, Michael, was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder at the age of 3 and she has used her experience to create an excellent resource on dealing with the challenges of Autism and Asperger’s.

Last week, Michael turned 12 and, despite the challenges he has faced, is doing very well.  He takes great photos and is shaping up to be a talented horticulturalist.

Oh, and did I mention I love Gaberielle’s poetry?
Here are links to just a few of my favourites

Skin Deep

Decanting a Poem

Campaign Trail

In all innocence

Ransom Note Poetry – (Listen Up Gina)

Brisbane River

There is a Place

The Force of Gravity

OCD Logic

Thanks, Gabe!

😀

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary

The wreck of the MV Sygna – Stockton Beach, NSW, Australia

What happiness is there for those who lead a solitary life through no choice of their own?

———————————-

For more entries to this week’s photo challenge, see The Daily Post at WordPress.com

Dilettantes of Disaster

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

The shadows draw long
through our limbs,
impoverished pulses from
indolent hearts carve us
tragic sinkholes for eyes; we are sallow
spectres in the night–
mirror, painting ourselves
in dishwater tincture
for dream-time, a sludge palette
of effete sorrow.

Until abstraction
manifests from the canvas
and chokes us by the throat,
we do not know gratitude.

Neoplasia

Chewing on this

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

I read this wonderful post of Kate Shrewsday’s
before going to sleep last night and it got me thinking (they always do)
of

Six impossible things before breakfast

A world without the power of money,
a sun-powered world

Journeys across a borderless globe,
Inter-universe journeys

Born old, growing young,
Spinal cords
growing in a window box

——-xx——-

Impossible possibilities? What are your thoughts? 😀

The Song Remains the Same

Image via http://www.sxc.hu

We were cigar-smoking sylphs,
we were angst-ridden waifs,
not quite role-model material
We were The Clash and The Cure,
Lena-Lovich demure,
but never Nirvana funereal

We were Flashdance and Fame,
we were Grease, Purple Rain,
not Dolly-sweet 9 to 5vers
We were Wham, All That Jazz,
Chorus Line razzmatazz,
Saturday Night Fever survivors

We were pathological humour,
the kohl-girls of rumour,
but never drug-addled chic
We were Dark Side of the Moon
and Kate Bush la lune,
living The Dreaming mystique

We were polka-dot punkers,
Spandau Ballerinas,
not tattooed suicide-grunge,
Twisted Sister crazies,
You were Thelma, I, Louise

But,
in the end,
only you
took that plunge