Only Time...

I came across Enya's 'Only Time' in my blog travels - I had forgotten how beautiful it was... It certainly took me by the hand for a stroll down memory lane...

I have found that music is the most evocative way of recalling a time, a place, an event, or even a person - either another or yourself as you were then..

My first recollection of Enya was 'Orionoco Flow' which I just loved - both the music and lyrics. From there I think I collected just about all her albums and each one holds a special memory for me...

Years ago - in another life, in this life time - I remember when I was in the creating zone I would put one of her albums on and allow the music to wash over me it seemed to unlock that part of myself that needed to be expressed at that time. Her music never failed to inspire me. Enya's work has always given me a sense of adventure -but also a sense of peace...

It has been a while since I have either listened to Enya or used her music as part of a creating tool - perhaps when I have more time I might have another go...

** Speaking of time - I have been offered extra hours at work - unfortunately I have had to let go my Thursdays off to accomodate them...

The Best News...

My friend L who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer has been declared cancer free!!!!!!!! The second attempt surgery went like a dream and the tumour was removed intact... She is to have some follow up chemo - but her surgeon in his words "believes she is now free of this disease"...

This has been the best news I have had all year...

Image - Healing Cards - Caroline Myss & Peter Occhiogrosso

The Forgotten Garden...

My latest read - Kate Morton's 'The Forgotten Garden' - is keeping me occupied. It is somewhere to indeed get lost in... I like a lot of readers, imagination is always spiked with the idea of a walled garden, locked and forgotten about. This particular garden on the Cornwall coast has been abandoned for 100 years... The Forgotten Garden is a perfect read for these cold winter nights safe in bed or cosy by the heater. I will add this book to my collection as it would be one that I would read again. At the moment I am reading the reading copy from work - this is one of the perks at working in the book trade - getting to read some of the books before they are out on the shelf.

I have been toying around with creating another 'crazy' block but have been unable to think of a theme - this book has so ignited my imagination I can see it been carried over into a block...

I am also looking out for Kate Morton's first book - 'The Shifting Fog' (also called 'The House at Riverton') - which too sounds appealing... As if I didn't have enough books to read...

Forever Young

On a whim I bought this month's 'Australian Country Craft'... While I was browsing through it I came across an article by Rick Rutherford - in it he mentions the Bob Dylan song 'Forever Young' - not to be confused with the other versions - Rod Stewart or Youth Group to name but two.

Rick's article suggested that the lyrics had had quite an effect on him - in his words "It was one of those deeply, insightful heaven-ordained moments in life that happen infrequently, but usually occur when one needs them most ..." This was enough for me to find the whole lyrics and have a read myself.


P found the Joan Baez version from the Net and it is indeed a beautiful song. I have included the lyrics below...


May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.



May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.



May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.


Bob Dylan

In my thoughts today...

... I have come to understand that things which have gone before cannot be reclaimed - old friendships rarely rekindle to past intimacy, lost love will be forever remembered as lost love, regrets can never be reconciled and unrealised dreams stay largely unrealised...

Nearly a month on...

...we have all been extremely sad without Edith but we have also been cheered by the kindness of family, friends and strangers alike who have expressed their condolences one way or another. Edith had been such a large part of our lives for such a long time that at times I think we forgot she was a cat - rather she was 'an Edith' an integral part of the family unit. She had been through so much with us over the years - a largely silent companion - ever watchful - a keeper of secrets and a giver of unconditional friendship and love.

Eadie ruled us all with a velvet paw and we would tease her and say that her 'black heart' was in control when she would ignore us and treat us with indifference - or if she was playing at being a 'big cat' - that it was the tiger stripe marking on her coat in the tabby areas that was responsible for the hissing, baring of teeth and unsheathing of claws... I used to tell her that in our last life together that she was a princess and I was her handmaiden - she remembered that life and I didn't...

E's is a part of an art on-line art site where Edith's antics were regularly recorded. In fact Edith had quite a following of admirers and from time to time other artists would also paint/draw their impressions of her and send them to E. When E left a message at the forum saying that Edith had died she received over a 100 messages of condolences. Whilst this by no means eased the pain of loss it was touching to think that 'faceless' friends in most cases half a world away took the time to express their words of comfort.

Edith featured very heavily in E's art work as you can see just a few examples above... The first picture shows Edith 'getting high' on ants she would roll around in ant trails if she found any and act quite strangely almost if she were drunk - she it seems 'just couldn't get enough' ants. The second picture is a recent painting of Edith done in the last few months of her life. The last picture was one of E's larger than life caricatures of Edith. These are just three of many, many images we have of our beloved Eadie... Edith was a constant source of inspiration to E and E's art journals are liberally littered with sketches, cartoons and caricatures of her beloved companion.

We all still look for that little face which use to greet us at the door each night when we returned from work. I have found myself looking for Edith from time to time and my day off is now lonely without her presence and I miss that miaowing that would search us out if she couldn't find us. I miss her terribly and have found myself having more than one little weep in an unguarded moment. I miss the times when she would come and lie across the keyboard when she wanted attention and I had been on the computer a while. She also use to get a "Don't think I don't know what you are doing" look when we were getting ready to go out. Her greeting on our arrival home was one of disdain and she would stalk up the hall with her tail upright as much as to say -"see, I haven't even missed you" or she would look up if she had been asleep with a "... so, you've decided to come home..."

I think we were all shocked at how quickly she went from a seemingly healthy cat to very ill in the matter of a few days. We have always prided ourselves in the way we have looked after Edith and the vet assured us that we did all the right things for her. It seems that cats in particular show very few signs of ill health until it is critical.

In the last few months we noticed she had slowed up - but took that given she was 13 1/2 that that was to be expected. She still was very, very attentive as far as her food was concerned and cooking is not the same without those watchful eyes watching you from across the other side of the kitchen bench making sure she missed nothing that might be important to her and her stomach. In fact that was what alerted us to the fact she may not be well -when she started to turn away from her food - even P's tiny morsels of raw chicken failed to enthuse her...

We are unsure at this time whether we will get another cat - yes, we would all like another but that doesn't seem to be a good enough or the right reason. I know that it sounds silly but I believe when there is a little kitty needing a home Edith will let us know.

**I would like to thank those people who responded to my previous post - I really appreciated your comments and I apologise that it has taken me this long to respond...**

We love you Eadie - we miss you and our life is not quite the same without you in it...

Goodbye Miss Edith...

06/11/1993 - 28/05/2008

Our beloved Edith went to play in God's garden this morning. We are all heartbroken...