A Christmas wish for you

Hi everyone, tis the night before Christmas, and I began thinking about the people I know that will have someone missing from their Christmas table for the first time this year, as I did back in 2014 when my darling father passed away a couple of months before Christmas, and then my mother-in-law on Boxing Day of the same year. I lost my dear Aunt earlier this year, and I am thinking about how my cousins will feel her loss this Christmas. I also have other friends and family who have lost someone this year, or who are going through difficult times. 

The first year is always the most difficult after loosing someone. 

A couple of months after my father passed, I wrote the poem you can read below here, and I hope it might bring some comfort to those of you who have lost someone this year. This is my gift to you. Hold onto your precious memories of your loved one. They are with you still. 

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

                                                                                                                  
Christmas only comes but once a year
It brings with it joys and tears.
 
As I go through the motions of gift buying, decorations
And planning menus
I am thinking of those who will be missing from my table
for the first time this year
They are the ghosts of Christmas past.
 
My father hanging Christmas lights in the pine trees
at our front gate
The carol singers under our corner street light.
 
I lay in bed wondering how Father Christmas could possibly
come down our kitchen chimney and through the little doors
at the front of our Metters Stove.
But he did – because the carrots and cake were gone
 in the morning.

 
The excitement of seeing my new big doll Lucy
under the Christmas tree.
 
My mother dishing up the Christmas pudding with the
threepences hidden inside
Her Christmas carols that filled the house.
 
The long Christmas table at my Aunts
With aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents
And silly hats.

 
Summer heat and laughter,
Playing under the sprinkler on the back lawn,
And laying on the cool lino of the passage way with a new book.
 
The simple pleasure of humid summer evenings on the
back lawn looking up at the stars.
 
As I hang the special Christmas baubles on my tree
And light the candle of remembrance
I look into the eyes of my grandchildren

And I see the ghosts of Christmas past.

I found this beautiful song from Enya several years ago, and I thought I would share it with you.

The Spirit of Christmas Past.....

When tears are in your eyes, it's time to look inside, your heart can find another way

Believe in what I say, don't throw this time away,

Tomorrow will be Christmas Day, Christmas Day

So, let the shadows go, and drift away like snow,
Tomorrow will be Christmas Day, tomorrow will be Christmas Day

So dream until the night becomes the morning light

Tomorrow will be Christmas Day, tomorrow will be Christmas Day.

You can hear the music track by clicking here (skip the advert) -   The Spirit of Christmas Past

A very subdued Christmas message this year. If you are looking for something more upbeat I recommend you go to some of my past Christmas posts -

The 12 days of Aussie Christmas - 2022

Christmas in Australia - 2021

Christmas Waves it's magic wand over the world - 2021

The Christmas in Australia edition - 2020

Red Flowering gum - Australia 

My thoughts are also with those around the world who are suffering from wars, famine and natural disasters. I wish man could find a way to live together in peace and help each other no matter what our religion or culture. I wish for a light to shine in the darkness, peace and goodwill towards all peoples. 

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you peace and safety, shelter, food on the table, and time spent with those you love. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. 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 @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

An Easter prayer for peace

And so 2018 begins

Today is the first day of 2018. Usually when I blog this time of year I look back with a summary of the past year. But today I am sharing just a small selection of my photos from 2017, as I doubt you really want to hear about what I have been up to, and anyways you can always go to my Index, or my Blog Archive list on the RHside there. So here are just a few pics from 2017....

 When I looked back to find some photos for this post, I realised we had had a very good year overall. I enjoyed scrolling back through memories of my year through my photos. Now we are retired we have had the chance to do some travel and for me, at least, to explore some arts and crafts that I have wanted to try.

Slow down and take time to see what is around you

In these busy days as we rush around getting ready for Christmas, working, cleaning, baking, shopping, ticking off lists, writing cards etc, we need to slow down, sit awhile, and take time to see the beauty around us, the little things, and to think about and appreciate those things in your life that are important to you.

I hope these images will sooth and calm you.............as you listen to the new play list I have installed tonight on my blog. 
(You might have to scroll down to the application, and click on it to start the music - I haven't worked out how to have it automatically start.)


A palm softly blowing in the wind.....

The petals of a moonflower..........

The new lavender blooms....

A shell found on a beach.........

Fallen petals on the garden path.............

Remember to take time out...........and see the world around you..........

Cathedral Avenue & Australind Pioneer Cemetary, Western Australia

On Wednesday morning I went out to Cathedral Avenue which runs along the Leschenault Inlet at Australind, about five minutes from my home. The paper-bark trees form a natural arch over the roadway, which has now has a re-routed road around it so that you can just walk along the road along this part. It is such a lovely peaceful place to walk.

and a close up of the beautiful bark of the paper-bark tree with the early morning light on it.

We have an old pioneer cemetery in Australind near where I live. There lie the bodies and ashes of some of our early  pioneers from 1842 onwards. The Australind & Districts Historical Society have done a lot of work out there since the last time I was there. And now there are lists on the entrance archway with the names, death dates and numbers of the graves, so you can identify them. Many are marked only with a simple number. Others are falling into  decay - like this one - crumbling and overrun by weeds - I cleared away some of the long weeds.

From the number on the grave I found it was the grave of Rachel Smith - aged 19 - died 2/7/1852, George Smith - aged 32 - died 25/7/1852 and Henry Smith - aged 4 months - died 15/9/1852.
They died so close together - I wonder who they were and what was their story.

The cemetery is a peaceful place in a pocket of bush. In the spring time the freesias push up through the ground and flower in profusion.

I hope you find a time for peaceful wandering over the weekend.

Update - Some information (see below) about George and Rachel Smith was sent to me by Phyllis Barnes, Bunbury historian, and editor (with others) of   "The Australind Journals of Marshall Waller Clifton : 1840-1861" . Please click on the link - Australind Journals of Marshall Waller Clifton


Thank you Phyllis for this valuable information. It was wonderful to learn something about George and Rachel. 

Quote from Phyllis - "I believe in getting such info onto the jet stream so long as it is accurate. I cannot tell you how George died, possibly pneumonia but have never quite worked out how a little baby can get to paint – presumably lead poisoning that takes weeks to build up and was sometimes chewed off the cot by a child!!!"

Rachel Catherine Clifton was born on the 10^th of March 1833 in London although the family was living in France. She was the fourteenth child of Marshall Waller Clifton who was appointed the Chief Commissioner in Australia for the Western Australian Company in May 1840.

The Co. had purchased 103 000 acres of land that formed a huge square from just north of the Collie River to about Wokalup and from the west side of Leschenault Estuary into the hills; the town of Australind was to be on the southwest corner.  Shares were sold to investors and settlers who were willing to emigrate entitling them to 100 acres of rural land and four ¼ blocks  in town. The surveyors left England in December 1840 arriving in January 1841, but then it all went pear shaped and many investors withdrew taking their money - a blow from which the Company never recovered.

Nevertheless, Clifton arrived in Koombana Bay on the Parkfield on the 18^th of March 1841 with 11 of his 14 surviving children including three little girls - Lucy was 11, Rachel 8 and Caroline was 6.

Three sons of the Company Secretary, Charles Henry Smith, came to Australind –

John Valentine Smith, later Sir John, arrived on the Island Queen in December 1840 with the surveyors on the Island Queen, and then George and Henry came on the Parkfield  as Gentlemen Settlers.  All three worked for M.W. Clifton who thought well of them and frequently mentioned them in his Journal.

Rachel and George were married at on the 21^st October 1851.  Her brother Charles Hippuff Clifton married Maria Elizabeth Glynn, ward of the Thomas Little of Belvedere, earlier same day in the day in a Catholic ceremony at Belvedere, then joined Rachel and George in a dual Anglican ceremony at Australind.

The young couple went off to live in Perth but Rachel died in childbirth and George soon afterwards.  All this comes to life in 'The Australind Journals of Marshall Waller Clifton … published last year.

Phyllis Barnes

A ducks watery world

We have a small swamp area a few streets from us. It is a lovely place to wander and sit quietly on the benches in the shade of the trees. 

When I saw this duck on Monday I rather envied him swimming in his beautiful watery/reedy home amongst the paperbark trees.

Have a wonderful weekend.

A prayer for peace

Anzac Day was 25 April - a time when we remember those that went before us, who gave their lives to give us freedom, and made our country what it is today. And I send a silent prayer out for peace around the world.

These words are on the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.

and the eternal flame in Kings Park, Perth