All Hallows’ Eve: Invite The Ancestors Over !!!

Only a thin veil of scepticism separates our physical world from the mystical plains of our Ancestors. On ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ this veil is ruptured, the fabric torn and tattered, easily breached by those who reside in the ethereal world.

They hear the earthly calls from loved ones left behind and float toward our insistent cries. If you are afraid of these ghostly visitations, their mysterious non-earthly presence, then you must lock your windows and bolt the doors, drawer the curtains closed and light a candle for your protection. Pour salt around the perimeter to stop them crossing your threshold. Burn sage leaves to clear your abode of their swirling thoughts and emotions …. OR….

You could simply invite them in!!! After all they are Family!! Who better to protect you from the werewolfs, vampires and witches roaming the earth on this hallowed eve, than these ghostly apparitions!! So have a little fun and ….

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HI y’all. I’ve been off the blogging merry-go-round this week with Flu#3 [or is it #4?] and work.. work.. and some more work… The flu is letting off a bit but the work promises to ramp up more from now until the year end.. So… apologies for the lack of blogging.. and more importantly… the lack of visiting your blogs… Hopefully I will get around to visit you all this Halloween week and pop in and say ‘Boo !!!’

Well the ‘Trick’ [above] may be a bit lame, but the ‘Treat’ is sure to be a crowd pleaser. You may recall I mentioned another giveaway coming up soon. Yes it is still on the cards… in fact it has just been waiting for me to get my blogging act together. So, with some luck and assistance from my Ancestors, I will be posting your ‘Treat’ real soon… this week I hope. So please don’t forget me.. even If I do seem to be ‘Off with the Ancestors!!!’

IMAGES: Vintage Photos: from the family library of Being Ruby and wickedly altered by me [Being Ruby] [YES they are my dead relatives …Sorry Mum, Dad and all the others! Hope they don’t mind a bit of irreverence – after all it is Halloween !!! But please dear Ancestors - don’t visit me tonight! Pehaps this little invocation of mine calls for the Salt & Sage!!!]

BLACK & WHITE Sunday: Leaving Tenterfield [Part II]

Continuing on my Tenterfield Theme, here are a few more shots in Black & White .

Now I didn’t give you the back story to this trip. It was taken at Easter back in 1995. A friend was driving up to her Uncle’s shack, 2 kids in tow, for a spot of country air and R&R. She failed to tell me we were about to embark on a 10+ hour drive. She also failed to tell me what the ‘shack’ would look like. Of course I had romantic notions of this simple country shack and, although without modern day conveniences, I still imagined it would be somewhat romantic and restful. The ‘Shack’ turned out to be a ‘Shack’, no frills about it.. ha ha..

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Her Uncle lived on a horse farm with just a few working dogs for company. It seem the dogs didn’t mind the 4 inches of dust and dirt on the floor and the cupboards and the chairs and the old sofa. Nor did the dogs care there was no electricity or hot water and the only shower was an external cold water bucket shower.. The dogs didn’t care … cause the dogs didn’t have to use it.. ha ha. I am such a wuss at the best of time, but this was extreme to say the least. We spent the first hour boiling water and scrubbing a wash pan so we could then boil water and scrub some cutlery and plates to eat off. After all this scrubbing, it was off to bed .. socks and hiking boots still on. I don’t think those boots came off the whole 4 days.

Now bear in mind this was back in the days when I still thought blow drying my hair was as essential to my daily rituals as brushing my teeth. So the first day or so was full of ‘resistance’ on my part. After that I seemed to relax into the rhythm of the country. I stopped fussing over the unnecessary things and spent my time focussing on more important things like the people around me and the ‘drop dead gorgeous countryside’.

On the long drive home I felt somewhat liberated from my everyday necessities that really aren’t necessities at all. The radio was playing George Michael’s ‘Freedom’ as if it knew I had discovered the secret to this elusive state of ‘being Free’. This first image below is the Bruxner Highway leading out of Tenterfield on the long trip home, as seen through the eyes of a newly liberated Country Soul!

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See the Magpie above!!

You can see this week’s Black & White Sunday participants over here [don’t forget Sunday comes early to Sydney]

Hosted by ‘Anne Marie of Na-Da Farm Life’

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IMAGE SOURCE: All images by me [being Ruby]

Thoughts For A Sunday: The concept of Freedom is a strange animal. I was sad to leave Tenterfield and the sense of Freedom I had found escaping the paraphernalia of city living. Paradoxically, Peter Allen, a son of Tenterfield, found his Freedom by embracing the big smoke and a life of fame.

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This is Australia: Tenterfield Saddler

G'day!! As you know I have been a little slack at getting round to visiting all your blogs. Too much work makes Julie DULL!! So to brighten Dull Julie.. and hopefully you too, here is a post inspired by the colours of the Australian Bush, sunsets, and that sentimental song by Peter Allen … ’Tenterfield Saddler’!

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I took these shots in the countryside surrounding the small town of Tenterfield which lies near the NSW and Queensland border [home to the famous Tenterfield Saddler]. I also have these and other Tenterfield shots in Black & White which hopefully I will bring you soon. But for now …. I Hope you enjoy these ‘Australian Bush’ images and …

May your rainy days always be followed by rainbows!!

IMAGES: All by me [beingRuby] LYRICS: Tenterfield Saddler – Peter Allen

IF IT’S TUESDAY: This Must Be 'Down By The Bay'

This photo was taken on the shores of Botany Bay on a Tuesday evening.

The Tuesday before the first Big Red actually. A huge electrical storm was playing out it’s fury. Planes were scurrying by seemingly unawares, and I was standing in the rain trying to capture it all.

I didn’t catch the lightning, but I did meet some travellers from Belgium. How lucky for me. Our little bayside beach is not the usual place to meet travellers, in a storm, in the evening. Our conversation lightened my spirits and allowed me to see ‘My Bay’ through their travelling eyes. I went home feeling uplifted as only travel and a good storm can provide!! That fresh new feeling lasted all the way into the morning when Big Red came to town. boo hoo.. I wonder what those poor travellers thought of it all!

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Once again I haven’t much time for anything but work right now, so I hope you enjoy this one simple image brought to you by:

Me

The Colours Blue, Sepia & Black & White

Twilight

&

Traveller’s Eyes!

IMAGE SOURCE: me [being Ruby]

Grinners are Winners: Awards & Giveaway

Hi y’all!! Well yes I am going to announce the winner of the Armchair Trader – Louenhide Handbag Giveaway. But first… I am going to make you sit through a showing of some awards and 7 Things You May Not Know About Me!! [OK if you are impatient you can scroll to the end]

I'm pleased to say I am the proud recipient of some blog awards. Three in fact. Three really is my number!! I love the number Three, it never fails me!! All three are Kreativ Blogger Awards and have the same requirement .. post about the award and list 7 Things about myself you may not know. So… to save you from having to hear 21 things about me, I am doing them all together in this one post!

The first ‘Kreativ Blogger’ Award [above] comes from Gintare @ An Interior World. And what a snazzy award it is. Gintare is new to blogging and is currently studying Interior Design so as you can imagine, her blog if full of wonderfully stylish interiors. Gintare’s take on the world is fresh and new and full of vitality. Oh to be young again!! Thank you Gintare for presenting me with this award.

The second award, again a Kreativ Blogger Award comes from another newcomer to Blogging who is by no means new to the world of Interiors and Style. Greet @ Belgian Pearls runs her family business Lefèvre Interiors. Greet’s blog is full of exquisite style and diversity. From stunning Belgian interiors to friendly family gatherings, Greet’s friendly manner will welcome you. Thank you Greet for thinking of me.

The third Kreativ Blogger Award comes all the way from Spain from Berta @ Toile de Jouy. Berta shares my passion for Venice, Santorini and travel in general. Although her blog is written in Spanish, I never have any troubles understanding the beauty and joy she presents with her images. I had been planning to give Berta this award after receiving the 1st and then before I managed it she had already passed it to me. How sweet she is. Gracias Berta por esta concesión abundante.

So now I get to share these awards with 7 other bloggers. One of the great blogging experiences for me, is getting to share ideas and images with international bloggers, even sometimes those who don’t share the common language of English and those whose heritage and culture is so different from my own. It just goes to prove, creativity and inspiration needs no written language. So here are my chosen 7 whose blogs bring the International Language of Beauty into my life [some in English and some not and of course some extras because I can]. Please accept either of these Kreativ Blogger Awards. If you wish to pass it on to 7 other bloggers, we'd love to here 7 things about yourself that people may not know [no obligation],

Gintare at An Interior World

Greet at Belgian Pearls

Berta at Toile de Jouy

Lourdes at Un Abril Encantado

Luiza at Feelings

Carina at Made In Persbo

Miranda at The Sobbing Settee

Ange at Signed by Ange

Melanie at Le Petit Cabinet de Curiosites

Julie in Holland [no blog but a favourite commenter]

and one more for a great friend Deb at Dumbwit Tellher

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And now here are my 7 Things

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#1 I’m A Frowner

Always have been and always in trouble for it. Misunderstood I say!!! It is really just my ‘thinking face’ and well .. I am always thinking!!

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#2 I’m The Youngest of Four Siblings

Not frowning here! No.. because I got my revenge!! Sometimes siblings make you mad! [hahahaha]. Guess Who Wears The Glasses Now? [and yes .. the others don’t! … Beware of Instant Karma]

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#3 I Wanted To Be Ginger Rogers

Probably Still Do!!

When other girls wanted to be Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn, I wanted to be Ginger Rogers and Tap Dance my way to fame!!. Drove my Mother nuts!! Of course this meant many years of Tap and Jazz lessons along with the staged concerts. And when the concerts were over.. the dress ups didn’t stop!! My favourite tunes ‘42nd Street’ and ‘Lullaby of Broadway’. And yes it is a wig!

[Eleven year old Julie is Dressed & Styled by Little Miss Ruby!]

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#4 I Love Foreign Languages

I was going to say I love travel, but you all know that about me by now. Well I also love foreign languages. In High School I studied Indonesian and French as electives and as an adult I spent time at language school in Florence. Sadly I rarely use or remember any.

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#5 I’m A Night Owl

You’ll often find me working or doing posts in the wee hours of the morning. It is when I am most ‘switched on’ . However it doesn’t help the morning problem!!

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#6 I Love Ships & The Sea

Well a lot of you probably do know that about me. A new blogging friend recently reminded me of this love of mine. So if you are new to my blog, here is an old post I dedicated to the Sea and all things nautical [here]

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#7 I Studied Remedial Massage

Although I have worked in the IT industry for over 20 years, I took a break from it all a few years ago and studied Remedial Massage. Yes I can Trigger Point your Quadratus Lumborum, effleurage your Gastrocnemius, or provide tapotement for the Trapezius. I also have certificates in Swedish Massage and Level I Reiki.

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GIVEAWAY WINNER

So… the moment you’ve really been waiting for .. the giveaway results. Well the winner of The Armchair Trader – Louenhide Handbag, chosen by Random.org, is lucky # 1

YES # 1

Susan [& Giulia The Cat] from Bricolage

And that’s all she wrote

Except..

I missed Black & White Sunday this week.. but please pop over and see what everyone else has posted. Hosted by ‘Anne Marie of Na-Da Farm Life’

And Also

You know I like things in threes.. so YES there is another giveaway coming soon to a blog near you! [mine!]

IMAGES SOURCE: All non award images – From The Family Library of Being Ruby