What's Great About Becoming Older?

This is rather a pertinent question at present. I am sitting in front of my laptop with a bloody heat pack wedged between my chair and my lower back. I have, at last, started loading humongous amounts of essentials into Will, our trusty A -Liner, who is of course, willing and able. Our departure date for our 2024 Great Escape is fast approaching and I have been trying to attend to this task for the last two weeks.

The result is that I will have an aching back for the duration of this activity. Which will mean some testiness on my part, liberal application of various creams, the frequent use of the heat pack, regular daily doses of Panadol and copious glasses of vino. For medicinal purposes, only, you understand.

The other day, Michael was complaining about some difficulty heaving a fifteen kilo pack of welding wire out of the car. In the "olden days", he would just lift such weights with ease... I reminded him of his "old fart" status. He was not amused...I think he lost his sense of humour. (Maybe another casualty of becoming ag-ed.)

Ringing each other's phones. Endless hunts for our keys, wallets and water bottles. Discovering lunch on our clothing when we go to wear that piece for a second day. Worse still, having to re-wash tee shirts/shirts/dresses/jumpers when the stain didn't come out during the first cycle.

Forgetting tablets temporarily or for the entire day. Accidentally launching tablets across the room to be snaffled by one of the canine clowns. Ringing the vet to make sure that the consumed medication won't kill the dog...Wondering whose tablet is on the floor after the dogs have left it in a gooey mess.

Getting exhausted by one activity. Or driving to the Big Smoke and back and feeling like just crawling into bed.  Not wanting to arise from that bed because the morning is too cold. Entering into open combat with the dogs who love nicking our Ugg boots and parading around the room.

WTF is today? Wednesday (I hope)? Being a Luddite, my hard copy calendar is my best friend. If an appointment/checking funds for a direct debit/outing or making a return text/phonecall/email is not on the calendar, then that important piece of information doesn't exist. Going shopping? Where the hell did I put my list?

Finally, please allow me a minor vent of spleen regarding online forms. This morning, I spent two and a half hours filling in an application for the East End Gallery to join the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse. (Which, of course is not an actual warehouse, rather a virtual thingumabob. Which marketing buffoon decided to call this online site a warehouse?!) I swung wildly from panic to irritation to bewilderment to disbelief. When I finally finished the process, my nerves were shot and my get-up-and-go had got-up-and-left. When are these savvy online designers realise that some of us were born BEFORE THE INTERNET EVEN EXISTED?

Is there ANYTHING positive about becoming older? Hell, yeah!

• Feeling superior around all the yahoos and ferals. We have been there, done that, survived and have become rather smug about still being alive.

• Startling the young with knowledge, insight and history. Amazing them that we are not doddery old fools, but still have important dialogue, and even more outrageously, engage logically and relatively calmly in debates about life, ourselves and the world  (without any violence...)
  

• Feigning ignorance or stupidity to gain attention and hopefully intelligible solutions to incomprehensible problems. Even if the issue is unsolvable, at least I have annoyed somebody else...
  

•  Giving call centres limited time to answer me before dialing the complaints number and dumping the problem on them. In addition, going straight to the complaints line when I have no idea what the "Options" mean in their slack and lazy messages.
  

• Being utterly immune to embarrassment. I am too old to give a shit about what most people think about me. On rare occasions, I might squirm in my shoes when I have been a complete fool, but I can always blame creeping dementia...

• Loving the opportunity to take naps. During the morning, at noon or in the afternoon. At long last, Nanny naps have become perfectly acceptable.

•  Eating what I enjoy. At my stage in life, I am no longer trying to fit into a little black dress next Saturday night. Yes!

• Becoming very eclectic in my choice of clothing. I have recently discovered Keshet, a very colourful fashion label based in Tasmania. Keshet shows their clothing on real models...aka not stick figures. Seeing the clothes on big girls allowed me to make informed decisions about how they would look on me.

• Ecstatic at being a Nanny. I was not particularly maternal with my children as I was running an army camp, particularly so after Alex began his intensive home programme. Now, as Nanny Kate, I am reveling in my role as a disgustingly silly and adoring grandmother. How brilliant is that? PS I adore my sons and daughter-in-law.
  

• Spending time with my beloved Michael. We have been soul mates, best friends, lovers and partners for the last fifteen years. We share our passions, yet we also have quite specific different interests. Which allow us time apart, even though we still might be together in the house. Within the East End Gallery, we complement each other.

•  And then there is the thrill and joy as we embark on one of our annual adventures. Are I now counting the days? You bet your sweet bippy I am.
  

  

 There have been so many occasions that I could have utilised a trumpet tooting out of my bum!

  

Hahahahaha! I'm currently waiting for the Water Corporation to ring me back "due to a high volume of calls"...

 

 

 

 When hell freezes over...

 

What every large organisation should have as their official banner...

 

 

Which one will the ever so smart online designers use today...

 

 

Often...

 

 

Useful sentiments... 

 

 

Venting spleen in a health requirement in this Brave New World...

 

 

 

How older people tend to be viewed...

 

 

Instead of knowing our life experiences and lessons...

How to gain equilibrium in our lives - adopt a rescue dog...

 

 

Prescribed for our mental wellbeing...

 

 

And run away from time-to-time!

 Us - May 2024, already looking forward to Blast Off.

 

 

We're Going On A Gnome Hunt (@ The East End Gallery!)

Most of us who have reached a certain vintage would be familiar with the children's book "We're Going On A Bear Hunt", written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Published in 1989, the story is of five children and their dog setting out on a bear hunt. They overcome all manner of natural obstacles in their quest - passing through tall grass, crossing a river, squelching through mud, navigating a forest and facing a snowstorm before finding the bear in a cave. The bear appears hostile and chases their home, but is he actually a threat? The final scene has the bear plodding miserably along a dark beach...And the children end up hiding under a duvet, vowing never to entertain the idea of a bear hunt ever again.

Repetitive refrains are an integral part of the story as well as frequent usage of onomatopoeia (words that are suggestive of the accompanying sound - crash, boom, growl, giggle or hiccup). I read this book to my children, all of whom loved both the narrative and the illustrations. The children and dog were based on Helen Oxenbury's own family; the landscapes were also familiar to her. The story sequence was easy for children to follow and the characters looked like everyday kids. A timeless classic, in my opinion.

So when I met a marvellous artist named Julie Anne Stolen and accepted eleven of her quirky little gnomes into the Gallery, the thought came to me to tuck them into different posses and create a gnome hunt. Which I have happily completed. The only trouble is that Julie's gnomes have become a delighted and sought-after art piece and four of them have already been sold! 

Fear not, I have sent Julie an SOS for more gnomes...She will be as busy as a beaver and if all works well, we will have more of these joyful little creatures peeking out from shelves and niches. 

Looking for an activity for a wintry and rainy afternoon? Turn your vehicle of choice eastwards to Heavenly Beverley and have a giggle whilst locating all of Julie's gnomes, dotted throughout the East End Gallery.

And of course, the East End Gallery is so much more than just Julie's gnomes. Searching for an original colourful card? We have a whole bunch of extraordinary card makers. Seeking a unique piece of jewellery? View our talented artisans. After some "different" pottery? Take an extended browse at all of Gone Potty's items. Maybe a ceramic witch's cauldron? Kelly Duncan has kindly provided one. Wood works with a story? We have multiple craftspeople. An eye-watering range of three dimensional sculptures? Take your time. Paintings, drawings, pastels, watercolours, mixed media, eco-dyeing and eco-printing? We have them all for your pleasure.

So really, a visit to the East End Gallery has become a treasure hunt. Plus, we can provide tourism information, a library of interesting books, art for the kids and the invitation to see Michael at work in his Studio and marvel at his wonderful collection of metal artifacts. And very soon, Rebecca and Marion Luck will also be onsite to add to our fabulous and eclectic atmosphere.

If I might say so myself, the East End Gallery just keeps becoming better and better. Betty and Craig McKeough finished their Residency at the Station Gallery yesterday and have left us with some exquisite jewellery, eco-printing and a wonderful pastel and charcoal rendition of Paperbark trees.

 Did I mention that there are lambs everywhere and the Wheatbelt is returning to green?

Shall we see you soon? We certainly hope so!

 

 

We're going on a gnome hunt...

 

 

We're going to find a pretty one...

 

 

What about an orange one?

 

 

Or green and purple ones?

 

 

Another orange one?

 

 

A multi-coloured one?

 

 

A red one?

 

 

A straw-coloured one?

 

 

Or a spotty one?

 

 

 

"Wax Flowers" -  Kaye Devlin...

 

 

"A Loveliness of Ladybirds" - Kaye Devlin...

 

 

Charcoal and pastel Paperbarks - Craig McKeough...

 

 

Betty McKeough's jewellery just took my breath away...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus Craig's 3 eco-prints...

 

 

 

 

All available for our guests to take home from the East End Gallery.

 

A "Renaissance" In The East End Gallery

Suddenly, we are almost into the middle of 2024. How on earth has that happened?! We are also just over three weeks away from leaving for our next epic voyage to the North West for a much anticipated rejuvenating trip with a spot of fossicking thrown in for good measure. 

In the meantime, we have still be working like beavers in the East End Gallery. One opportunity came and went and almost immediately, we were given a wonderful alternative to enhance the atmosphere of the East End Gallery even further.

Towards the very end of June, we will be welcoming Marion and Rebecca Luck into the East End Gallery, a mother-and-daughter powerhouse who mix painting, drawing, pastels, copper work, silver work, enamel and jewellery. That's their talents that I actually know about. I suspect they have much more expertise than that...

The East End Gallery has undergone an amazing metamorphosis from the might-have-been, could-have-been to finishing with a collaboration that fits our primary focus. We support and promote Wheatbelt artists as our number one philosophy. Marion and Bec are Beverley artists searching for an affordable venue. We have been able to provide them with that venue. We are not interested in profit as a means to an end. Which is just as well, as profit remains an out-of-reach fantasy.

This marriage of the East End Gallery with these two fabulous artisans is a match made in heaven. We can support them; they can support us. We can take breaks; we can cover them. We have a shared ideal - to be the best artists we can all be. We are so bloody grateful to Marion and Bec and can't wait for them to complete their move into the East End Gallery.

Bec and Marion are not our only new artists to join us. Whimsical card maker Catherine McKinlay was searching for both a home and an outlet for her art. We have provided her with a niche at the East End Gallery and we are crossing our fingers that she also can find affordable accommodation here in Beverley. Middle-aged women are becoming homeless at an alarming rate and all we can do is try and do our bit - looking for anybody who can offer accommodation to women in crisis.

Then there is John Firth, an extraordinary wood worker who has been honing his craft for decades. Marvel at his exquisite carvings and have a giggle at "Death in Paradise"...

We have abandoned the concept of the Giftshop - we have amalgamated all our art pieces under a single banner. The renewed East End Gallery has quirky artisan pieces mixed with fine art. Metal with wood. Textiles with paintings. Pottery with up-cycled mixed media. The East End Gallery has become a treasure hunt, providing our guests with a brilliant experience of hide-and-seek. We believe the Gallery is the best it has ever been. And we are content.

We have entered winter, and in the Wheatbelt that means vibrant colour, lambs and the opportunity for some vigourous exercise around Quajibin (County Peak) and Yenyening Lakes. Reasonable fitness is required for Quajibin as there is no path to the summit.

Did I mention lambs yet? There are little bundles of fluffiness being born  and within minutes they are gambolling around with gay abandon. When they tire, little lamb creches appear, all under the watchful eyes of their attentive mums, resting under a watery winter sun or huddling for warmth when cold and showery. 

Almost overnight, the country has transformed to a carpet of green. In another month, the canola will begin to flower and thus will begin the patchwork of gold with green. This time of year is conducive with warm fires and hearty food, resplendent with vivid colour after a very long and hot summer.

The annual Beverley Agricultural Show is rapidly approaching on Saturday 17 August. Do not miss a chance to attend this excellent event, which heroes all things agricultural.

 We will not actually be in Beverley for the Show, as we will still be enjoying our annual jaunt to the North West's warmer climes. But the Gallery will remain open Fridays - Sundays with our fantastic volunteers rallying to allow us to have a much-needed break. 

And so, without any further ado, here is a peek at the current status of our beloved East End Gallery.

Just don't sit there! Turn your vehicle of choice eastwards to Heavenly Beverley -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Something In The Air...

I have been listening to rather a lot of the "Alan Parsons Project" in the Gallery over the last tumultuous couple of months. I didn't discover Alan Parsons until about ten years ago and remember being blown away by his music from the very beginning. His lyrics touch my soul. His words also challenge me to think about the many paths of my own life.  

"Prime Time" has been gently playing in my head this morning. I say "gently" because the song is not unwelcome and has provided me with another opportunity for contemplation. Michael is still asleep with His feline Majesty Chop, Lexi has finished her usual morning havoc with only one broken piece of porcelain, the heater is warming up our home and the fog is lifting. I believe this is going to be a beautiful day.

"Something in the air

Maybe for the only time in my life

Something in the air

Turning me around and guiding me right"...

Somehow Lexi might be, unwittingly to both of us, that "Something in the air" that is allowing me to reevaluate the relevance of memories and what really deserves to be of importance in my current stage of life. 

I'll try to explain. I thought this post would come flooding out of me, but the process has been a tad more problematic than I realised as I try and rationalise these thoughts.

Having a puppy back in our lives has been hilarious, frustrating, exhausting and unpredictable. Lexi turned one on 30 May. She is a big and lanky goofball with a brain the size of a planet that she is still learning how to use. I think she gets bored in the early morning just after sunrise and that is when the trouble begins. 

What is interesting is what she does destroy and what she either carries as a trophy or leaves altogether. Yesterday, she unearthed photograph albums from the bookshelf, including one that featured rather a lot of fish and coral (Underwater World?) and a few images of me from between twenty and thirty years ago. I looked back at myself standing in my newly renovated kitchen in the Karrinyup house. I was thirty-three years of age...

Then, this morning, Lexi was prancing around with a small mixed media artpiece I had obtained in Cossack a few years ago. The piece itself was undamaged and she gave it up to me with just a bit of quiet persuasion. Happy memories of the North-West filled me with warmth and my present life with my beloved Michael.

She also has a penchant for somewhat more delicate items. I found the remains of a little piece of decorative porcelain that came  from an antique Gallery on the very top of Mount Tamborine in Queensland. My mother had bought this and another piece many years ago whilst I had been visiting them during one of the less fractured times of our relationship.

As I looked at the broken pieces in my hand, I wondered about my emotions. Was I feeling regret or sadness or anger at Lexi? Was I remembering Mum with affection? Was this breakage important at all?

I eventually worked out I was feeling both relief and release. My mother had not been a benevolent being. She caused so much trauma for our family and she had wielded power by giving and taking. With never any rhyme or reason. 

Lexi's joyful breakage of a tiny piece of china removed another invisible chain of hurt and sorrow from my past. 

After I had vacuumed up the last shards, I went back and looked at the photographs that had been uncovered yesterday. I tore up some, but I have kept others, including the thirty-three-year-old me, so happy in the heart of that house.

Life is a constant and continual journey...

 Early Alan Parsons picture...

 

 

At nearly 17...

 

 

Kate - January 2003

 

 

Kate and Michael - January 2012...

 

 

Kate and Michael - May 2024

 

  

 

Michael with Mister Chop...

 

  

 

With Monty - my very first Weimararner...

 

 

Michael hiding from Stella in the caravan - August 2019...

 

 

Lexi and Chop - late May 2024

 

Never give up, girl!