Revival

A message from Brigid ....

I have been a blogger since 2005. At the height of my blogging busy-ness, I had "a small stable" of blogs on different topics: social and political commentary; desert spirituality; food; waste and ....

A few years ago I called time and ceased blogging altogether - although there was an occasional post. I had called it quits. I am an aged woman these days with a couple of serious illnesses. I am not allowed to drive. I am no longer active in organisations. I think it fair to say that I am housebound. I am active on Facebook, although I am not there as often as once I was. I have decided to embark on a re-entry into the blogging world ... beginning with The Trad Pad and, possibly, a return to my food blog, Oz Tucker. I have always used a lot of photographs on my blogs ... and I miss not being out and about with my camera.

The Trad Pad has been my blog for the lovely things of life. The controversial or political has seldom intruded. Occasionally, the spiritual has found its way in, but I kept spirituality for the blog, Desert. I don't yet know if I will revive that. I will stick pretty much to food and the lovely things of life. If I have some regularity with those two categories, I feel that I will be doing well. I hope that, with this blog new friendships can be formed and old friendships renewed; new lovelies discovered; new reflections can enter into the meaning of modern life. I would love to hear from you - particularly if you have suggestions for new topics to enter into the conversation. So, it is a new year. Let's see what it has in store, what it can bring to us. And I hope that those who share the spirit of The Trad Pad can spread the message of a world of beauty, the creativity of humanity, and the joys of simplicity and tradition. ~~~ February, 2017

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Spicks & Specks–the bits they left out

 

Team captains Myf Warhust (left) and Alan Brough, with Spicks and Specks host Adam Hill

The picture above is from here.

I have been a Spicks and Specks fan since Night One.  That surely shows what excellent taste Miss Eagle has. 

To-night, the edition has been a bit different – literally, out of order.  We have been shown all the edited-out bits.  I have been helped along by a friend turning up with some Pepsi to which I added some Bundy left over from Sunday’s Rugby League Grand Final!  I have to say in what a wonderful frame of mind the Bundy & Peps and the naughty bits left me.

Adam Hills, and the anchors Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, are, IMHO, absolutely brilliant. They have tickelled my funny bone for years now and continue to do so.  To-night they sent me into hysterics, a coughing fit, and perhaps an unredeemable apopleptic health event.  The ruling triumvirate are brilliant – and their guests….

Perhaps my favouritest guest is Denise Scott, a woman of similar. if imprecise,  vintage.  She is impossible! In the nicest possible way, mind you. Although I am in love with Hamish Blake. 

This set me to thinking.  I think Spicks has moved up a notch.  There is now room for the Grown-Up Edition (GUE) which MUST include the impromptu left out bits.  Impromptu is more fun, don’t you think?

Monday, October 04, 2010

The day no birds would sing…

…and no bees will buzzz. 

Picture from here

It seems this week that I have a focus on the birds and the bees.  Perhaps it is just spring.  I think that’s the reason.  Spring has an expectancy, a longing.  We love to see the blossoms, we love to hear the birds coming out from the rain and singing, and we do like to know that the bees will do their vital part in the continuation of this precious cycle.

I would ask you, Networkers, to pop across to Duncan’s blog where he says

As I walked through the bush I saw and heard no birds, and failed to see the flowering shrubs and plants that used to delight the eye, and as things stand I can only see the situation getting worse with further losses of biodiversity.
Birds and plants are not the only groups suffering of course, In the sixty five years I’ve been observing nature in the local area, native mammals have disappeared, frogs and reptiles have declined, and native fish and other aquatic life have taken a big hit from reduced stream flows and the introduced European carp.

Have we done this or is this just nature doing its thing?  Is this changing climate or a change in the cycle?  Let’s not ask questions.  Instead, let’s put our energies into thinking about our behaviours, what we consume from the planet – to the extent that there is not enough water, air, food for the birds, the bees, the fish and us.  And please read Duncan’s blog.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

The Wisdom of Birds: their songs, their sex life...and us

When I walk up Leicester Street in Carlton from Victoria Street, before one reaches the Green Building there are terraced units. One of these has a postage stamp of a 'garden' with a lot happening in it.

Usually, I am walking up there to a meeting in the early evening. Yesterday, I walked up Leicester Street en route to a conference in Queensberry Streeet just before 10 am. The 'garden' was a hive of activity because of visitors - sparrows going to and fro. Reason? To greet other members of their species in aviaries on the front patio. Trees, birds, chatter. In spite, of the imprisonment of some, the whole scene was - to this member of a foreign species - quite joyful.

This provides my intro to this charming encounter arising from a Tweet by my desert blogging buddy, Robbo:

and here it is:
Make up your mind whether you would like
a bullfinch, a nightingale, a well-equipped male bird,
or even Professor Tim Birkhead himself.

Blogging the beautiful: Floriade and Canberra gardening.


Didn't make it to Floriade this year?  Not to worry.  Just drop by MacRambling and take a peek at her beautiful photographs.  The ones on the post can be clicked on to get really drooly big pix.  Talk about blogging the beautiful.  And she has a companion blog, MacPlanting: a Canberra garden journal.

You might then like to pop over to A Growing Delight  and so hello to that keen blogger and photographer, Frances, who also has some marvellous Floriade photos.

Other blogs 'doing' Floriade:






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