The Deserted Beach.  

Tropical Sunset 

I had seen local ads on the net advertising exhibitions at the Museum of Brisbane.  I was interested in seeing ‘Micro Histories and Fashion.

I decided  yesterday that I would venture into the city on Sunday.  I live on the north side of Brisbane CBD.  I never drive the car into the city these days, public transport is just fine for me.

Today I started my journey from the Mango Hill Train Station, it’s quite new and even has lifts and an overhead walkway  to get over to the other side of the track.  The journey takes about 40 minutes. I took a photo of me waiting at the station and put it on Facebook, a friend immediately commented that I should smile because it might not ever happen, she thought I worried. ( I am not good at taking selfie’s). I took another once seated in the train and did my best to smile.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some Aboriginal Art Work on the exterior of the train but needed to wait until the train arrived at my destination to take the photos that I couldn’t resist.

I disembarked at Central Station.  My journey now is walking everywhere, pleasant day, blue sky and not too hot.

I love taking photos with my cell phone. The first place of interest was a heritage listed building. It was originally called ‘People’s Palace – a temperance hotel owned  by The Salvation Army. It was a place of sobriety, safety and peace.   It was later sold and is now called ‘Base Backpacker Brisbane. Directly across from the Central Train Station which is great for tourists

I mentioned Central station. It is not considered to be the main railway station in Brisbane.  Roma Street Station is the other station which caters for local and long distance train travel, also has a bus station. Anyway back to talking about Central Station, its in the heart of the city, a very busy station for locals and visitors to the city.  My impression of the station is that it is a real eyesore and let down to Brisbane City.  I took one photo from across the road looking towards the eyesore. The other photo was taken while I was walking on the ramp up to the station ( shouldn’t written about this later as it was on the way back to head home) . The ramp is a bonus, it feels like it is padded with rubber, so comfortable to walk on after a long walk around the city.

I decided to walk along a road which I don’t normally use often to get to the Museum of Brisbane. I spotted The Salvation Army Brisbane City Temple.  I paused for a moment to read the history plaque  on the building. A man in his 70’s dressed in Salvation Army Uniform greeted me. There was no pressure  just a friendly hello and how are you. I spoke to him about what time the service would start. It used to be at 11am but now 10.45am.  I looked at my watch , it was now 10.30am and then without hesitation I went inside and sat down.

In my younger days I used to go to the Sallies all the time. I started going in 1960  I got married, we attended the Sallies and had our children dedicated there. This all happened why living in New Zealand. I stopped going in 1983 when I when through a disastrous time, that’s another story.

Here I was this morning sitting in the temple feeling quite at home and comfortable. Today is Palm Sunday, beautiful service and sermon. I used to play a cornet in the band and sing in the songsters so it all brought back wonderful memories.  I sat with retired Army Officer’s  Ron and Bernice , Ron was the lovely man who spoke to me at the door. I might even go back next Sunday.

When the Palm Sunday Service was over I headed for the Museum of Brisbane which was is part of the Brisbane City Hall.  I attended a ceremony at the hall in 1997 when I became an Australian Citizen.

By the time I got inside the hall and made my way up the lift to where the exhibition was I had lost my motivation,  my cataracts were giving me grief, my vision was rather blurry, plus my dry eye condition was causing my eyes to water – the joys or the pits of aging.

I did look briefly at ‘Micro Histories’ – Artworks and artefacts are paired with buildings by six of Brisbane’s most exciting architectural firms in Micro Histories, an exhibition exploring the relationship between architecture, art, people and places.

Once outside again I took a few more photos because afterall  the visit to the city was to be learning about architecture.

1. Inner city building and hotels
2. King George Square –  Brisbane City Hall is located there. It often has markets and promotions there. It’s a great place to sit and do nothing.
3. The Uniting Church – It’s a spectacular building. I once attended a wedding there many years ago.

My stomach started growling at me. I headed to Mos Burgers – Japanese infused. I have been there several times. Today I ordered Crispy Fish which was truly delicious.  No after effects, no reflux, plus economical lunch $6.00.

After lunch I popped into a little shop that sells essential oils and diffuser’s  etc.  I recently bought a set of three essential oil online  – Calm and Relax Set.  I have got a diffuser so that’s good.  Today I was looking at ‘carrier oils’ which is something I didn’t think to get with my order. I was amazed at all the different types of oils.  While in the shop I had a sample of hibiscus tea.

Time to head back home. Back at the lovely Central Station it would be 16 minutes until my train was due to depart. I was feeling a little dehydrated so I bought myself a 50 cent ice cream from MacDonald’s , but not with the flake.

I was once told by a student doctor that those ice creams were made with pig’s fat, he would eat one every day.  Paleo which I quite like wouldn’t mind if it was just pig’s fat but MacDonald’s website give the ingredients in details such as  – milk, cream , sugar, flavouring etc but no pig’s fat mentioned.

Well that was my Sunday Escape From Four Walls.

Cheers everyone xo 🙂

Still needs a tad of tweaking. 

I get so much enjoyment and pleasure from looking at a simple little flower in the garden.

A money-box was given to my parents for me when I was born.

It is in the shape of a round coin, coloured brown and made of plastic.

On one side it reads ‘Penny Bank of New Zealand’, and on the other side ‘1950’ ‘Save the Pennies the Pounds Will Take Care of Themselves’.  There is also a bird resting on fern branches, to me it doesn’t look anything like a Kiwi which is a New Zealand native bird.

I never did find out who gave me this gift.

My only childhood memory of the money-box was when I was fourteen years of age. I had a crush ona young man who played in the Salvation Army Band every Sunday morning. Bob did not wear the traditional uniform worn bu other Salvationist; he wore a Military Army uniform because  he was always on Padre Duty every Sunday. Bob looked spick and span . I would sit, gaze and smile at him, and he would reciprocate.  Bob’s parents were Salvation Army Officer’s . They invited me to their place for Sunday dinner. After dinner Bob offered to drive me home which consequently lead to a kiss and cuddle. Bob gave me a ten shilling note.

On returning home I never told my parents (they were not Salvationist’s) about Bob or the money because my father would have wanted to kill Bob and would have made me give the money to my mother for food.

In the privacy of the room that I shared with my sister Heather I showed her the ten shilling note and she watched me fold the note and push it through the slot on the money box.

A few weeks later I wanted to buy something. On opening the box I was disappointed that the then shilling note was gone. Heather denied all knowledge of where it might have gone.

For 68 years that money box has been with me.  It does have a few New Zealand coins inside it.  I never played with it as a child.  I have now found another use for it. I am happy that I can now use my money box as a percussion instrument, it brings music to my ears and I can sing along to Abba’s song:

MONEY MONEY MONEY MUST BE FUNNY IN A RICH MAN’S WORLD, MONEY MONEY MONEY ALWAYS SUNNY IN A RICH MAN’S WORLD.

 

 

These photos were taken from Gardening Australia post on Facebook. The Currency Creek Arboretum was also shown on the ABC Gardening Australia TV program this weekend.

Autumn in Australia is a time of wonderful colours and textures, found not only in leaves but in the trunks and branches of eucalypts !

Pic credit: Dr Dean Nicolle, pics taken at the ‘Currency Creek Arboretum.

Over the past few years I have written a few short stories, fiction and non fiction. Today while browsing through my stories I came across ‘All Aboard’, a non fiction story that I wrote. The story is about a return train trip than I did in November 2014.   Brisbane – Townsville – Brisbane.

The Sunlander long distance train was used to travel between Brisbane and Cairns.

ALL ABOARD    You will need to click on the link All Aboard to read the story. It should open in a microsoft word document, Please let me know if the link doesn’t work.  Enjoy the journey.

The new Spirit of Queensland that commenced in November 2014.

I have been having a lazy day at home. The mind hasn’t been lazy it’s been thinking non stop. I am now 68 and often wonder where have all the years gone.  Numerous things have happened both good and bad.  I can choose to occupy myself thinking about the bad things and thinking ‘what if’  or I can accept what has happened. I will always have the memories but can’t erase the past.  If I get disturbing memories,  in my imagination I pick a left from a tree, place it in the stream and watch it float away.

 

We can learn from the past if we want to.  The past hasn’t all be been bad, I have had some wonderful memorable times which i will treasure for ever.

I am blessed and contented with my life.