The Boys

How lucky are we... although we don't have a pet, we have a 'share' dog.. my niece's gorgeous black labrador Rocky comes over to stay and play most Wednesdays if we're free of client appointments. Rocky's a hit wherever he goes; he's even had a starring role on the Channel 10 weather report in the past; everyone loves him wherever you take him and Banx is no exception. Banx and Rocky are best mates and obsessed with each other. It's like they have some secret code language, half dog half man language, sometimes it's just in the wink of an eye, I've seen it! Last Wednesday was one of our hottest days on record in Brisbane so Banx took Rocky to the Brisbane River for a swim and cooling off, these pics are the results, love the shaking off water one! Aren't dogs and pets just the best therapy if you're feeling a bit flat, they take you out of yourself - Rocky keeps everyone thoroughly entertained with his antics!

The Simplicity of the Beach

I love the simplicity of the beach more than almost anything in the world (besides chocolate). Remember when we were little and someone said 'Come on, we're off to the beach', and all you needed to grab were your togs and a towel and if Mum could catch me as I flew out the door, a splash of sunscreen on the nose.... well now it's half an hour preparation time just to walk across the road to the surf! Check list.. sunscreen? hat? towel? extra t-shirt? thongs? book? spare change? mobile phone? spare undies? keys? beach umbrella? chair? By the time we collapse on the sand these days, groaning under the weight of the beach bag and its items, the sun is almost setting ha! well, not quite.. Even packing for my glorious week with Mum and sis at Coolum last week was bigger than Ben Hur. I have travelled and worked around the world with small suitcases, but last week needed our mini van to take everyone's "stuff" to Clubb Coolum!! And you know what... MOST, no in fact, nearly ALL of it remained untouched... books unread, CDs not played; DVDs unwatched (no TV watched at all); unfinished art pieces still not finished.. no jewellery worn; no make up put on for the entire week; no pretty flouncy dresses worn out at night (way too over-dressed), we three just sat mesmerised by the ocean view right across from our balcony (see pics above from our balcony) listening to the loud crashing waves.. we were literally drowning in the ocean's chant.. absolute sheer bliss! Who needs all that STUFF! I have to remember this as we start to excitedly decorate our new little beach bungalow at Moffat Beach.. the KIS principle.. Keep It Simple! A true escape from the mind clutter of our daily lives.. want a sneak preview of our bungalow's website.. www.moffatbeachbungalow.com Stay tuned!

Moffat Beach Barefoot Bungalow, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

This is it! Moffat Beach Barefoot Bungalow!!! On the stunning Sunshine Coast about one hour north of Brisbane, this will be our barefoot escape from the urban jungle, we can't wait!

Show and Tell

What did we do over Christmas.. well we had a wonderful family Christmas lunch, then we escaped to the coolness and serenity of Seaview Farm Retreat up at Mt Tamborine, sheer bliss, where the only visitors were the friendly kookaburras and alpacas (one alpaca was called Jamie... Jamie Paca of course!) and the view from our private deck was spectacular - the full length of the Gold Coast's distant shimmering lights could even be seen from our spa bath too! Local wine from Witches Falls winery completed the getaway, not to mention all the delish local produce.
But there is just one other thing we did over the Christmas break too.... mmmm, veeeeeery exciting, we bought a beach bungalow at Moffat Beach! Stay tuned....as it will be available for holiday lettings - it's GORGEOUS!

The Most Beautiful Gift

I received the most beautiful gift ever this Christmas - a miniature original painting by artist Banx of my most favourite bookshop in the world... the Shakespeare Book Company in Paris - a wonderful surprise Christmas gift and one that will be treasured forever.. soooo many happy memories and hours spent exploring that bookshop and neighbourhood of Paree!

Christmas Dress

Mmmmmm, what to wear on Christmas Day? This looks wonderful I think.... by Banx of course!

Bright Star

My favourite film director of all time is Jane Campion, and combined with my love of poetry, I was completely blown away by her new film Bright Star about the poet John Keats (played by Ben Whishaw) and his intense relationship with neighbour Fanny Brawne (played by the brilliant and talented Abbie Cornish). As the Guardian newspaper in the UK so aptly states: 'it is a subtle yet measured film'. Campion's strength is her ability to allow femininity and sensitivity permeate the film without sentimentality - not unlike her film The Piano in that respect, in my opinion.

The film is truly about romantic love, on so many different levels entwined in the restrictions of that era when one of our greatest Romantic Poets of all time dies at age 25 thinking he is a failure, unable to marry his One True Love, due to lack of income, ill health and other insurmountable challenges. One of my favourite scenes in the film is the trapped butterflies scene.

Campion has a fantastic website of production notes and photographs (including those I have added to this Blog today) www.brightstarthemovie.com
I especially love Ben Whishaw's notes (pictured above) from the film set.

How beautiful is this poem after which the film is named:

BRIGHT STAR


Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

John Keats

...and apparently Fanny Brawne was known to wander Hampstead Heath for years after Keats' death hours at a time well into the night and she never took off his engagement ring. True unfulfilled romantic love...tragic and beautiful.