Finding joy in the everyday

The Mary Quant mini I am one of those curious kinds that like to know why things happened or came about!! My latest wonder was the mini skirt and it's history, perhaps because the mini-skirt and I were born in the same year and have traveled almost 50 years together!  Warning — this post contains some examples of the mini skirt/dress from the 1960s.   * Did you know that Coco Chanel described the mini skirt as “Just awful” and the Netherlands banned the mini skirt for a limited time. Anyone in Greece was jailed for wearing a mini skirt in the 1960s.  * Disneyland outlawed the mini-skirt and the gatekeepers would measure the distances from the woman's knee to her hemline and restricted her entrance until she ripped out the hem.  * The mini was introduced by Andre Courreges in 1965. He felt that clothes were not keeping up with modern trends and wanted to introduce something that was modern, streamlined and easy to wear.  Courreges created

Artist:  Luigi Benedicenti Take a bit of these incredible food - all  calorie free as its paintings and not real!! Amazing realistic art that will make you hungry.  ******

I follow Trim Healthy Mama (THM) on Facebook and often surprised by women who post photos of themselves in revealing clothing such as swimwear to show off their weight loss.  I am equally amazed at women who show off their tummies (revealing skin) when pregnant.  Whilst I use social media and have witnessed its many positive attributes — it also has a very dark and evil side that some women have forgotten about. This blog post is a timely reminder to be CAREFUL when posting photos, think twice. It is also about sharing intimate photos of yourself with someone else.  Firstly to pregnancy — it turns out my concern was well grounded. Pregnancy support groups are warning expectant mothers about the dangers of posting photos of their bellies online in case they are stolen for use on porn sites. Groups in Australia, New Zealand and Canada said people posing as pregnant women had solicited photos for use on pregnancy fetish sites. ( source: ABC News )  We do no

We like to think we are strong and independent, that we can handle anything that comes our way. However, as soon as life crumbles around us, we realise we desperately need our gracious Lord and can't cope without Him. We need to hear His voice, to feel His arms around us. God is our refuge, He is ever faithful and He never changes. His compassion never fails and we need Him every hour.  Annie S. Hawks wrote the hymn "I need thee every hour". Annie, a young wife and mother, writes that one sunny day in June, 1872, she was busy with her household tasks. Suddenly she became filled with the sense of nearness to the Lord. She wondered how anyone could go through trials and sorrow without God. She realized that God was near in joy or in pain. Annie then penned the words to “I Need Thee Every Hour.”. When Annie’s husband died sixteen year later, she found that her own hymn was among her greatest comforts. She had not understood how her words had touched so

How well do you know your neighbours? Do you chat often? Do you help each other? I live next door to an elderly woman who lives alone. A few weeks ago my husband helped her when her front door got stuck and she couldn't open it. Last weekend I did her annual tax return as she finds the computer to difficult these days. I often chat with her when I am watering the garden in summer and we share DVDs and books and I have even given her a cup of sugar when she had run out!! She is a lovely kind lady and we get on very well. If we meet at the local shops we stop and have a chatter, sometimes quite long.  If she goes away we collect her mail and water her garden. She does the same for us.  I read in an article the other day that only 52% of Australians would invite a neighbour into their home and 50% would recognise their neighbour if they met their on the street. Most people don't even know the name of their neighbours. ( source ) There was a time when ne

Artist: Molly Brett Something very sweet and gentle for todays Art Friday.  *****

We live in a society that does not like to talk about death and when people die it is treated as alien when in fact it is part of life.  A report by The Grattan Institute published last year found that dying in Australia was more institutionalised than the rest of the world, with the majority of people dying in hospital or a residential care facility. Kerrie Noonan, a clinical psychologist specialising in palliative care said "We're not around death," Ms Noonan said. "Death is removed; it takes place in a hospital or a hospice. We don't have a context for having conversations about death." I strongly believe that death needs to be discussed, we need share our plans with our loved ones and it needs to be seen as a normal part of living and not something morbid to only talk about in whispers.  A community group called " The Groundswell Project " in Australia came together to create wider awareness about dying to help overcome reluctan

Hello dear blogging friends,  I thought I would drop by and see how you all were whilst our dinner cooks in the oven (can you smell it, the potato bakes smells yummy!) How are you all? Its been very quiet around here so I am guessing that everyone is very busy getting on with their lives.  Life is like that — busy one moment and quiet the next, then without warning busy again!! So what has been happening in my corner of the world — both my sons have got new jobs and start this week. Both are very excited and so am I. I hope their jobs live up to their expectations as it can be very disappointing when they don't. Both have worked very hard to find employment considering that there aren't many jobs about at present.   Poor hubby has been sick. Sadly I gave (shared) my cold with him and he isn't feeling at all well. He made a very hot curry on the weekend (far too hot for me to eat) in an attempt to "kill" off the bugs, it sort of worked. 

Gossip : I ruin without killing. I tear  down homes . I break hearts and wreck lives. You will find me in the p ews  of  the   pious  as well as in the haunts of the unholy. I  gather  strength with age. I have made my way where greed, distrust, and  dishonour are unknown; yet my victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea, and often as innocent.  My name is gossip .  (A. Naismith) ___________________________ Gossiping is bad news but sadly we have all done it from time to time, sometimes without even thinking. Women are shockers when it comes to gossip, just gather a group of women together over lunch and it doesn't take long before everyone is gossiping about someone else. For that reason there are many very strong advice in the Bible spelling out the dangers of gossiping and it isn't pretty or flattering. Gossiping is not new, its been around forever and sadly, we haven't yet learnt not to do it.  In Titus 2 verse 3, older women are told to t

Art Friday: Bikes and riding A bit busy this week - hope you enjoy this collection of bike and riding art!! Have a lovely weekend. Marie-Eve Tremblay Illustration, Canada Andre Kohn Aileen Lejten Source: etsy Art by Craig McCudden By Susan Wheeler Boyoun Kim by Emma Block Deanna Halsall