struth! ~ from Australia with Love ~

It's not every day that I receive a surprise package from my former home - Australia!

so the other week I was awfully excited when I unwrapped a beautiful parcel of memories!!

I found a gorgeous kookaburra brooch, a handmade sewn kookaburra postcard, some Aussie native flower stamp postcards and a cup of tea from miss rabbit! all tied with vintage lace!

Wow!! and kookaburra will now get to see the sights of Scotland, but because it's rather chilly here I'll make sure to wear him on warm days only!

Many thanks to, er, .... the hares!!

.... what do you mean 'hares'?

- hares sent you this parcel all the way from down-under??

Yes! they sure did! Mother Hare Empress, her son Baby Hare Snowstorm and Tiny hare!!

- plus their 'mama' Christabel from etsy shop Zinnia Pea

- Thank you so much Christabel, Empress, Snowstorm and Tiny!

Here is Empress, at home, about to look outside to see who is making all that racket!

Christabel has a blog, Zinnia Pea, which I visit often to gaze fondly at all the photos.

I get a little home-sick for Australia every time I see pictures like this -

- sulphur crested cockatoos having dinner in Christabel's trees! Empress requests that they pipe down a bit! They do get rather noisy at times!

Christabel lives in South Australia, and I used to live there too (many years ago :) so a visit to her blog brings back so many smells and sights and sounds that were part of my life over there. I can hear those cockatoos now! and when they launch themselves off the trees, the whole branch shakes as they are big heavy birds!

Christabel is a talented lady and she upcycles lovely pieces of porcelain and china with witty quotes that she hand inks from her favourite books and conversations!

This china cup has Sherlock Holmes on it!

"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"

and on the saucer - "I never guess. It is a shocking habit — destructive to the logical faculty."

Now just imagine that - I live 10 minutes drive from the Conan Doyle pub, here in Edinburgh and pass it most days, named after the creator of Mr Holmes! (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) ... though, er, I've never been in - I'm not a 'pub' type person... (but I do like the name Conan - I'm a Conan the Barbarian fan!! :)

I love quotes too, and lots of words stay with me long after I have finished the book. There will always be a use for an interesting quote!

Australia has had a very hard time this year - it was early February when they were hit with the biggest cyclone in history - Cyclone Yasi, and the worst floods ever, especially in Brisbane and Toowoomba. I was glued to the internet for daily news when this was happening. It was sad to watch, but heartening to see the Aussies pull together as they always do when things like this happen.

I've lived in both those beautiful places and they are filled with wildlife!

So it was great to see that the flood rescuers took time to care for these orphaned baby bats! aaaw!

Christabel finds just the right words to put on her china - this cup and saucer has Coco Chanel, an irrepressible, strong woman!

on the cup is 'J'aime le vie! I feel that to live is a wonderful thing!"

and on the saucer is "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."

how very true! and I could not agree more with both quotes!! and I think the baby bats would be feeling the same way.

Aussies have always been different, the Aussie spirit is like no other and I grew up watching Gallipoli, Mad Max (remember Mad Max??!) and er, a few episodes of Neighbours ....!

and I like to think that I have that Aussie spirit too.

so when the Aussie coat of arms is in trouble - people step in - and help! these roos are being rescued in the floods. What a hopeful photo!

(I'm sorry, but I don't know whom to credit for the animal pics, but if anyone does leave a comment and I'll add the credit)

and so, you could do no better than to have Marilyn Monro as your tea taking companion!

here she says on the plate '... All we demanded was our right to twinkle."

and on the cup is "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

I would have to say hear! hear! - who is perfect?? I'm sure not! and I suppose I could be a little mad if it is linked to genius perhaps :) and, er, I've never been boring, not that anyone has told me anyway! (... is anyone reading this...??!)

so those roos are getting another day to 'twinkle'! many thanks to that brave chap for rescuing them!

- now if you can't get 5 roos into your dinghy - then hey! just take the one!!

every life is worth saving :)

and my, my, don't they both look so relaxed on the water there, arms out to the side, smiling for the camera!

my hat is off to that lady and her lucky roo companion!

so after a hard day at work, or out and about, nothing could be nicer than sitting down at home with that cup of refreshing tea!

especially in this amazing mug from Christabel with Oscar Wilde - "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train"

and that would be one of the best reasons ever to start a daily journal!

I watched a Ben Affleck movie recently called Man About Town, and it's all about keeping a daily journal to 'discover who you are'. It has John Cleese in it, that funny British chap! and it's a very funny movie - it had me in stitches and it's also a deeply touching movie. Mr Affleck excelled in this one, it really is a gem.

- so after your 'sensational' day - just imagine who would believe you, if you wrote ..'I saw a frog taking a ride on a snake thru the Aussie floodwaters ....' ... yeah!? yeah!?

(and I can say thanks to Armin for taking this photo!)

ofcourse the frog and snake might actually be more than just transport & passenger - perhaps they are united in matters of the heart? .... hmmmm...

if so then they could do no better than to sip from Christabel's Jane Austen's cup and saucer here!

the cup says "You must allow me to tell you.."

and the saucer "..how ardently I admire and love you."

now that would be a special match made in heaven!!

I've been lucky to have met Christabel online and had the opportunity to read her blog, and seen a little of the beauty that surrounds her and what inspires her and most of all I am honoured that she chose to give my hares a forever home! ~ from one lady who loves words to another! ~

This is a mama possum that visited Christabel!

Isn't she beaut! (as the Aussies say :) and I have to agree, possums are the prettiest little marsupials ever! I had them in my garden in Brisbane. They would come out late at night and rustle away in the trees and eat the fruit. aaahh! memories!

(...er, at first I thought they were burglars but when the police came to investigate they soon pointed out the 'culprits' and the truth! sheesh!)

and one last pic from Christabel's blog - this is Mount Alma in South Australia!

Just look at those gum trees!

Australia really is a very special place and I've not been back for 16 years! (time flies eh?)

but thanks to the hares and Christabel I was given a delightful sojourn!

and I enjoyed every minute of it!! :)