BLESSED SPEEDY

OK enough is enough! Two issues are driving me mad! Over the last few weeks and days Ive noticed a really disappointing thing happening on social media People are attacking people over issues - personal and nasty attacks, and many of these people I thought were friends with each other As someone who has been a "victim" of social media attacks on myself in the past, I know how hurtful and definitely unhelpful these things are What benefit does it give the poster? What damage does it cause the victim? What happened to "if you can't say anything nice dont say anything at all? And finally - why are you attacking and not showing both sides of the argument? Thats the first issue - the second one is, keeping people angry Is it necessary, truly necessary, to keep people angry over an issue? Wouldn't it be more sensible and prudent to sit down, have a rational discussion about what could legitatmately be achieved and try and work together? Yes Im talking about...

Kate Morton is the author of The Clockmakers Daughter and this is the blurb on her blog about the book - In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins. Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river. Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets? Told...

My previous post talked about how I love creating stuff I also love reading stuff too - and if you think about it that is also creative I love reading fiction, sci fi, self help and lot of other genres Many of them take you to others places and times and even self help books take you to places you would like to be Last year I had a huge pile of books beside my bed and I set myself a challenge to NOT buy any more books or acquire them from others means - but to read through them.  Which I did really successfully However something "odd' has happened while I wasn't looking Cast your eyes on the photo - shall we call it exhibit A ?????? Somehow a new (and large) pile has evolved beside my bed - to be fair some are some I acquired from my daughter Sarah when I had to collect some of her belongings So it looks like I need to put myself once again on a book diet - BUT ITS HARD!!!!!

I recently had to answer a questionaire and one of the questions really had me stumped It was "what do you do that gives you joy" The question prior to that was "what do you do to relax" - to which I answered doing craft stuff such as knitting, embroidery, quilting but also reading and gardening But I didnt think that they gave me joy - they just relaxed me Its Saturday afternoon here - so "in theory" a lazy sort of day when we do minimal farm work just milking etc and hay feeding out Gary was having a well earned nap so I took the opportunity to do something creative Yes I have heaps (and I do mean heaps!!!!) of projects on the go - several knitting things, a stitchery, a quilt, a painting and more but I really felt the urge to start something new I have a basket, well several baskets, of kits that Ive bought over the years but not yet done I delved into this and came across a quilt kit I think I might have bought 15 plus years ago - definitely be...

What an absolute privilege! Today I was asked to be the Australia Day speaker at Mitiamo as the gentleman who was supposed to speak  couldn't  make it Ive had many people ask for a copy of what I said - so here it is! Enjoy and Advance Australia Fair I would like to talk to you today about connections – no not the Goulburn Murray Water project but connections. My name is Dianne Bowles and together with my husband Gary, we are dairy farmers in Mead which is about 40 minutes drive from here. I wear, and have worn various “hats” and today I’m here to talk to you on Australia Day and hopefully I will inspire you to connect The Dictionary defines connection as a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else. We are all here today because we are connected in some way to Mitiamo Some are here because I suspect you were born and raised here, some go to school close to here and some are just passing through and saw something...