Author: lizseverest

Hello there, What would you like to know about me? Well, I'm Australian and writing from Australia. My interests are varied. As I've said in the Contact and About Me page, I'd like to grow wise, not old. Much of the content I'm writing at the moment is more spiritual, which is probably because that's where I am at the moment. Although this may change as we go along. Just as a note and because I include it on the Welcome Page of my Blog itself (see the Menu bar if you can't find it easily), I am heavily influenced by Christianity. This is mostly because it's where my roots are, but I know that other religions also have credibility, and I try to not be constrained by this particular take on spirituality. My interests include writing, gardening, and travel. I love working in my community and I love politics. Occasionally, this leads to getting onto my soap box. But my true love is Social Justice, and it is this that drives much of my behaviour and, sometimes, my writing. I'd like to make this a better place before I die (in the distant future). If any of this interests you, please come along for the ride.
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Attention

Jemima slunk through the shadows at the back of the little fibro house. Black fur blended with the shadows, with only her luminous green eyes betraying her presence.

‘Cat,’ squawked the cockatoo at the back steps.

‘Be quiet, Peregrin,’ hissed the black cat.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ he huffed.

‘Yes, and I’m looking for mice in master’s house.’

‘Come inside then,’ the big white bird sleepily whispered, before tucking his head under his wing. He was asleep in seconds.

The black cat scurried up the back steps of the house, and disappeared through the cat flap in the back door.

The kitchen light was on, and so Jemima padded towards it, knowing a member of her family would be there.

A man stood at the sink, washing up the dinner plates from the night before. He looked at the chequered black and white lino towards the hallway.

‘Oh, it’s you,’ he said grumpily, as Jemima quietly came towards him. 

And then he turned back to his task, and ignored her.

Feeling unloved by the lack of attention, Jemima resolved to change this.

On fleet feet, she flitted through the shadows of the house, and into the laundry, across the other side of the kitchen from the hallway.

‘I’ll show them,’ she muttered to herself.

Rustling in the corner betrayed the presence of rodents.

‘I’ll catch one of you pesky vermin, and then I’ll get some love,’ the black cat whispered to herself.

On the top of the top loader washing machine, she could see her quarry. In a glass tank, a large black and white rat chewed on a  carrot in amongst shredded paper.

Pouncing, she caught him by the scruff of the neck, and carried him back into the kitchen.

‘Oh Jemima, put that rat down,’ commanded the man at the sink. 

With a puzzled look, the black cat obeyed and dropped the squirming rodent onto the lino.

‘That rat is a Christmas present, for the children,’ explained the man.

Jemima pulled a face. She did not like this news.

On her mind was one thought.

‘One more animal to distract the family away from me.’

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Rocks, Extreme and Deadly.

I’ve been getting a lot of posts in my social media accounts showing archaeology findings from the remote past. It really amazes me that previous civilizations went to so much trouble, in often isolated and awkward terrain (think Machu Pichu) to build structures that defy the imagination. There are rocks that seem cut to a […]

Rocks, Extreme and Deadly.

This is a blog post from a dear friend of mine. I just thought to share. Enjoy

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Bookaholic

What books do you want to read?

There is an old cliche I’d like to use against my better judgement.

So many books, so little time…

My home is littered with many genres, authors, and titles, some read. And many not.

They gather in bookshelves and crowd on tables, some with a bookmark betraying my half finished literary meal.

No particular book is more alluring than the others. My appetite is not fussy.

But also competing with the written word are audio books.

Audio books are my latest way to consume my Beloved texts.

With hands in soapy water, I can wash up while absorbing stories. Or I can knit, make the bed, tidy, drive even…all while relishing the latest best-sellers.

So, there is no solitary book I’d like to read. I want to read them all.

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Enamoured

I was enamoured with the clock. Its round face almost smiled at me, as its three hands kept time.

The second hand was brass and ticked quickly across the patterned surface. The minute hand was only slightly slower and made of silver.

And the ponderous golden hour hand moved slowly.

Every hour, when the golden hand skimmed forward, the clock would not only just chime but make music.

A sound, similar to a music box, would sing a tune, while little figurines chased each other.

Across the face, they would run before disappearing somewhere behind, hidden for another hour.

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What do you wish you could do more every day?

The cursor blinked at me. I blinked back.

What would I like to do each day, more than anything? What would I like more of?

To find time to write. That cursor on the screen beckons me to lay down words and structure them into some kind of sense.

Instead, there’s work to pay my bills, and chores. And people. These take up time. One cannot schedule unexpected visitors. I love them dearly, though.

Gardening, cooking, sewing. These are necessary tasks. But they are not writing.

So when I get time for lunch, today at work, I will write. Because that will be my chance.

Just start, for those of you who crave time to follow your passion. Ten Minutes, thirty minutes. Just start.

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Rescuer

I turned the ignition and started up Dad’s car. This was a desperate act, as I knew I’d be in much trouble in the morning. But the tiny puppy snuggled into my chest, needed help. Only a Vet would be useful, and that meant taking Dad’s car to the nearest Animal Hospital.

The car engine rumbled, and then revved. Reversing out of the car port, I started up the road. The little lump in the front of my jumper wiggled. Keeping to the left side of the road, I drove to the nearest place where I thought I’d find a Vet.

A lady in a white coat came walking out of the Animal Hospital.

‘Come here, child.  What do you have there?’

Realising that she was locking up before going home, I knew I was very lucky. She was an animal lover, through and through.

‘It’s a little new born puppy, I found,’ I informed her, handing over the scrap of fur.

The Vet took him, and held him close to her chest.

‘Hello, Little Fella,’ she whispered. And then to me, ‘We better get him inside. There’s a Mother Dog in there who has puppies about his age. She’s a good girl. I’ll see if she’ll adopt him.

I followed the lady into the building, and through the empty waiting room. She stopped me there, with a wave of her hand. And so I sat in a seat and waited. Through the open door, I could see her walk to a large basket on the floor.

A female dog lay there, comfortable in her bed, surrounded by little furry wriggling bodies. The Vet held the little puppy close to the dog’s nose, and she sniffed the new comer. And then licked his tiny body.

And then allowed the Vet to place him in her basket. The dog encouraged the tiny puppy to snuggle up to her.

The Vet turned to me, and gave me a thumbs up.

The tiny puppy would be okay. I smiled back.

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Work Sounds

What do you listen to while you work?

My job is a hands job, not a head work career. This means that while I’m creating new plants or doing other labour, my mind is free to roam around the universe,  as it feels fit.

In order to tame and tether my curious mind, I listen to podcasts and audio books.

These audio bites, I download from my local educational radio station and from the library.

At the moment, due to my desire to write better content, I’m targeting memoirs and autobiographies by well known and published Writers. 

All sorts of content grab my attention on my radio station. I love this radio network as there is always something interesting to learn.

Who else loves radio?

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Lucky

You’re in luck.

I’d like to start blogging about my garden, as it is dear to my heart and now taking up much of my attention. After going away to see a family member last month, I arrived back to a very overgrown garden.

The plan is to let you go on the journey with me, from jungle to relatively domesticated and producing horn of plenty. The idea is that I can entertain myself by learning about food.

Cutting down on food miles is one way to help the environment and growing my own food is something I’d love to do to help the planet. I’d also like to help the community that supports me, so if I can assist through sharing my own experiences, several aims have been achieved at once.

Plus, maybe I’m just madly in love with Nature.

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Easy gardening

From a neighbour in her eighties, I learnt something powerful about gardening. It’s all about working with Nature and not against her.

For example, it was raining fairly regularly over a number of weeks, and I found my neighbour outside each day, weeding. When I asked her why she was out in the rain, she said it was easier to pull weeds once the rain had softened the ground.

So, the secret to easy gardening, is to employ Mother Nature to do the hard work for us, and allow her to help. She is, afterall, a wise and old helpful lady.