Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Tuesday 20 June 2017

June capers

There has been much tragic news around the world lately. It seems every morning when I turn on the radio to the news there is news of another tragedy somewhere in the world. There have been numerous terrorist attacks, particularly in Europe, where innocent people have been killed or badly injured, and also lives and homes lost in a terrible apartment fire in London.  I am sometimes afraid for the madness that seems to be going on in the world, where it is leading to, and what the future holds for our children and grand children. Long gone is the innocence of our own childhood.

These world events make me pause and remember that I have much to be thankful for.  Not to make light of these events, but, perhaps because of them, today I give my blog over to some of the things that I have been able to enjoy in the last couple of weeks. Indeed I am very grateful for living in a relatively safe country where we are free to do as we wish, within reason. 

I am enjoying in sun in my June garden, although rain is desperately needed. It's winter but we have had no more rain since the one evening of rain of over a week ago which I wrote about in my last blog post.  

Top centre is Lilly Pilly - an Australian native fruit. I wrote about them last year here - Lilly Pilly jam
And bottom left hand corner is one of the Australian Native Hibiscuses which has just started flowering in my garden - isn't it a gorgeous colour!   


I am enjoying reading the memoir, Rabbits and Rosaries, written by my friend and former Catholic Nun, Glenys Yeoman. I am enjoying playing my old Carpenters record on my new record player, and Dami Im's tribute to the Carpenters. I am enjoying watching Series 3 of Poldark (I've been a fan ever since reading the books years ago), and last week I enjoyed watching my Grandson sing in his school choir at the Eisteddfod.



 A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed dancing with my Flamenco dance group, Sol y Sombra Spanish Dance Company, at the Eisteddfod. We won the "Dance Production" section with our "Cafe Flamenco". This is the view before the show. Unfortunately no photos during the performance as photography of the show is only allowed to be taken by the hired professional photography company.


 I celebrated with my two friends  who were both awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen's birthday honours list - historian Phyllis Barnes for her ongoing community and historic work including a number of published historical books (she is a member of my writer's group and truly inspiring), and Eileen Wenn for her services to the the floral arts through a variety of roles including former Australian Floral Art Association president (I know Eileen through Sol y Sombra and she has always been an encouraging supporter of my flower photography). These pictures have been copied from the Bunbury Herald newspaper.


I enjoyed attending the exhibition opening of the collaborative exhibition, "On the Same Page", and the artist talk by two of my friends, printmaker and mixed media artists, Denise Gillies and Lynne Mitchell.  It was a joy to see their beautiful multilayered work, both together and separately, and it was fascinating to hear about how they went about their collaborative work for this exhibition.
Denise and Lynne agreed when working on a collaborative piece it is important to loose any preciousness, to make decisions together, to be open to negotiation, and to TRUST.

"Their multilayered compositions explore texture, shape, colour and the environment. Their collaborative works display openness, trust and comfortable friendship while respecting the artistic creativity of each other". (Graeme Pages-Oliver)


This morning my dear husband has been busy painting the second bathroom and toilet, (thank you! x), whilst I made ginger biscuits and did some pruning in the garden.
And I felt privileged that I have not one but two bathrooms, when I know that there are many people all over the world who don't even have the luxury of clean running water.


 Last weekend we drove up to the beautiful Ferguson Valley and picked olives on the property of a friend of ours, and then enjoyed coffee and cake in the sun on the patio at Ferguson Hart Estate (thankyou Jan!) You can find Ferguson Hart here - Ferguson Hart Estate



We also visited the Wellington Mills community walk trail where the recently erected interpretive signage features a photo of mine of the old Bunbury jetty pylons along the bottom edge of the panels. So wonderful to see my photography out like this.



Last week I did a photo shoot for my beautiful friend and pro-blogger, Jo Castro, from Lifestyle Fifty. You can go to her fabulous blog by clicking here - Lifestyle Fifty
and my grandson helped me with a photography group project, the theme of "fragile".


And finally some opportunities to go walking out in nature - food for the soul. How blessed I feel to be able to do this. 


Did you want the recipe for the Ginger Nut biscuits (cookies) ? Here is is! 

2 cups Self Raising flour
3/4 cup sugar
4oz (113gm butter or margarine)
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg
4 dessertspoons golden syrup (you could substitute with corn syrup)

Beat butter and sugar together well. Add egg, syrup and then the dry ingredients (sifted together). Mix together well. You might need to add a little more flour if it is a bit sticky. 
Form into small balls and flatten a little onto baking paper on the tray. Bake in a moderate oven (190 C) for 15 minutes. 
Makes about 27. 
You can also roll this mixture out, and cut into shapes. My grandsons have enjoyed making gingerbread men with this recipe. 


Thank you so much for stopping by and for your indulgence while I look back over the last couple of weeks. I have much to be grateful for. Do you find there are times where you take stock and be grateful? Perhaps you would like to share with us in the comments.
I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.

I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

 

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday
 
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
Sky Watch Friday

12 comments:

  1. Love the shot of what I think are blueberries ~ lovely macro ~ delightful post ~ ^_^

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  2. Great series of images. I'll be glad to drop by and share some biscuits - they look great!
    Thanks for sharing at https://floral-passions.blogspot.fi/search/label/floral%20bliss

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  3. You sure have been busy! It can be tiring but, oh, how it makes you appreciate life!

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  4. What a busy but also kind of 'cosy' week you've had Jill - just right for winter. I love how your food pics make me feel - very Hygge! Thank you for taking photos of me this week for the fashion post - you are a whizz when it comes to making everything and everyone (!) look their best :)

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  5. Very comforting photos and words. Yes it has been an awful few weeks, sometimes I wish we weren't so connected to the outside world. I have taken to staying away from technology a lot more and we rarely watch the news.

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  6. What a lovely set of photos.

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  7. A lot of great stuff here today, Jill! The flowers are gorgeous and I listen to the Carpenters all the time! I had them on LP then 8-track then cassette and then CD and now on a SD card in the car!

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  8. What a delicious cookies! I'm not fond of baking, but I eat with pleasure what others have made =D

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  9. You have been a busy little bee! I love your garden photos. It's nice to see a bit of Winter colour. Since returning from our overseas holiday 3 weeks ago I've been playing catch up and not really getting out into the great outdoors to enjoy our lovely mild Winter weather. I must do something about this. :)

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  10. Oh we do have so much reason to be blessed and sometimes we need a blog post like this to remind us of it! Great job on this one. . .take care, be safe and be happy! Jackie

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  11. How well you have chronicled the past couple of weeks of special events and activities which make up your daily life or la vie quotidienne as we call it here in France.
    I was thrilled to see your blue hibiscus because I have one exactly like it which I inherited from the previous owner, I adore it.
    Thank you for the biscuit recipe, today would be a good day to bake some as it is absolutely teeming down with rain outside, no hosepipe ban required in Normandy this week.
    I have recently made a personal commitment to living with mindfulness and find myself counting my blessings more and more every day, like you I have much in my life to be grateful for I call it simple abundance.
    Thank you for wrapping up Mosaic Monday for me this week with such a lovely post.
    Maggie.

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  12. Hi Jill,

    Your last couple of weeks have, indeed, been filled with so much adventure, from baking sweet goodies to flamenco dancing, and everything else in between! Wow! You sure are a busy bee, and I'm certain that your social butterfly self, too, always is a welcomed and cherished presence, wherever you may be.

    How wonderful to have such talented and creative friends like you, to show your support of one another's projects. I enjoyed reading about the trust and comfort between the 'On the Same Page' pals, and it is a lovely example of how friends can collaborate to create such beautiful works of art, to be enjoyed by many.

    Yes, we definitely have so much to be grateful for, despite our own personal issues. There's nothing like the freedom and peace and security of one's country. Your walk in the woods illustrates that for me, in this post, the space between the trees, symbolizing liberty to walk as one wishes, in their chosen direction, throughout life.

    Jill, in closing, I'd just like to say that I'm surprised that we're not following each other! I really thought we were. I don't want to miss another one of your delightful posts, so I am your newest!

    Have a lovely rest of the week,

    Hugs,
    Poppy

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I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I read and very much appreciate every comment and love hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return.