Isabella and The Staircase Gallery.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Staircase Gallery.

Isabella was a fan of photography. She had purchased some pieces from a couple of local artists and had strategically placed them in her staircase gallery. For hours, Isabella would perch on the stairs admiring the images. Sometimes, she would take her journal and write about how the images made her feel, about the ‘story’ behind the images, their composition, the light, the dark, the shadows. Once, Isabella decided to do her journal-ling after a few too many wines. Unfortunately staircases and inebriation do not mix. Isabella again learned this valuable lesson when her right Achilles heal was sliced open by the sharp edge of every step in her staircase gallery.

Isabella and The Grape Vine.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Grape Vine.

Isabella knew that the freezing winter meant more red wine than any other beverage would be consumed in her household. It was the warming nature of shiraz, merlot, petit verdot or cab sav that allowed Isabella to do anything at all during this season. As human anti-freeze, these red wines made for many colourful [sometimes naked] dancing in front of the open fire. Each glass brought with it another opportunity to defrost. Each bottle brought the courage required to collect more wood from the diminishing pile of aged ironbark located outside. Each case brought the cardboard required to start the next day’s logs. Nothing was wasted and everything had its role. God bless red wine in winter.

Isabella and The Documentary Legend.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Documentary Legend.

Isabella loved David Attenborough. Well, perhaps ‘loved’ isn’t the correct word but a more fanatical fan, Isabella had not yet met. So it came as no surprise when Isabella ignored everything when Sir David was on television. Isabella watched Sir David with such passion. Whether about plants, animals, mammals, prehistoric fossils, reptiles, evolution, earth, ice, wind and fire – all were so hypnotically narrated by this legend of all legends. Isabella concentrated so heavily on every word and every image, that Isabella didn’t realise that this photo was even taken. The cogs in her brain continually turning, absorbing every bit of information that this crooner of all documentary notables had to say. Thanks Sir David Attenborough for everything… To Sir, with Love.

Isabella and The Hard Decision.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Hard Decision.

Isabella was in a bit of a quandary. Growing up, Isabella had the wonderful luxury of having a father who loved to cook a hot breakfast every morning. Now, living in a share house, there was little chance of finding a clean frying pan, let alone waking to warmed plate with a poached egg and a fresh-baked slice of homemade sour dough. For Isabella, the hard decision at breakfast was whether to have Vegemite or honey on whatever bread was left in the house. Today however, there was no bread, no butter and no milk thanks to her house mate’s late night munchies. An issue that had been raised before, Isabella wasn’t angry at the housemate. She saw it as an invitation to be taken out for breakfast. This lead Isabella to the hardest decision of all – ordering the big breakfast with hash browns or the eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. Bread, butter and milk were purchased once Isabella’s tummy was filled. Tomorrow, Vegemite and honey were back on the menu. There might even be a cup of tea as well.

Isabella and The Winter Blues, Greens and Purples.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Winter Blues, Greens and Purples.

All the leaves were brown. The sky was a beautiful shade of wintery blue. Isabella went for her walk on this winter day. There was something quite magnificent about winter on the Granite Belt. The nights were freezing (literally) and the days, if clear, were dreamy warm. Isabella still had a lot of laundry to do but instead of approaching the dreaded chore, she hid in a protected area of the garden. The hub was Isabella’s secret garden with a micro-climate of its very own. Flowers blossomed at the wrong time, eggs hatched, the offspring flourished, and the water ran warm – all in this sub-zero season. It was all just so lovely that even the Mamas and the Papas did not need to dream of California. Isabella was safe and warm. And that was all that mattered. The laundry could wait another day….. or two…. or more.

Isabella and The Meditation Rock.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Meditation Rock.

Isabella was feeling a little stressed. There were animals to feed, lawns to mow, seeds to sow, washing to hang out on the line. The weekend was fast approaching and she had only a small amount of time to get herself organised. She was about to attend her first Gay family wedding and was deciding whether to go in Drag or as a Cowboy as per on the invitation. All week she had been practicing with the eyelashes and after having a number of allergic reactions, decided that she needed to rule out the extensions. Out Isabella went into the bush to sit at her Meditation Rock. Ohm…….. Ohm……….. Ohm………… Twenty minutes later, Isabella had a solution. She was going just as she was – gay or straight, drag or cowboy – love was love. She was just too delighted that her cousin had found love with such a lovely man. Mazel Tov.

Isabella and The Reflection in The Mirror.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Reflection in The Mirror.

Isabella looked in the mirror and did not completely recognise the face looking back at her. She knew that time had passed. She knew that hairstyles had changed. She knew that the red lipstick had been replaced with a far more nourishing tinted lip balm. It wasn’t that Isabella did not like what she saw in the reflection. In fact, Isabella thought this ‘stranger’ had very kind eyes. The ‘stranger’ seemed at peace with the world. The ‘stranger’ was truly happy and it actually showed. Isabella realised that getting older meant more than losing skin elasticity. Getting older was also bringing Isabella contentment. It was bringing a state of mind that radiated satisfaction in a life well lived. A life to be proud of and celebrated. Now, where is the sparkling wine?

Isabella and The Hammock.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Hammock.The rain had been pouring for days and at the first sight of sunlight, Isabella jumped into the hammock. The hammock had followed Isabella from house to house. It was a reminder that every now and again Isabella had to stop, breathe and soak in the goodness of her very being. It also served as a fabulous hangover cure – a lesson she learned in Fiji – hammock + shade from a palm tree + gentle sea breeze = loveliness. Isabella believed “Hammock Time” was a good substitute for “Fiji Time” where clocks were banished and things happened when they happened and if they didn’t – no matter. Oh, the freedom of “Fiji Time” is never far from Isabella’s thoughts. Bula.

Isabella and The Public Holiday.

Posted on by

Isabella and The Public Holiday.

Isabella could do nothing else but rest. A public holiday comes so rarely and after the weekend of radio triple j’s top 100 of the last 20 years, Isabella felt a sense of alchemy with the world. Every song had a memory – a place, a time, the friends and the outfit worn. Who knew the strength triple j had over Isabella and her generation, the one before, and the one after. Well done triple j. Well done.

Isabella and the Cat with Many Secrets.

Posted on by

Isabella and the Cat with Many Secrets.

Isabella was an animal lover. She was known by many as a Cat Whisperer. Meowkin, her 19 year old tabby cat had been training Isabella for many many years. Meowkin had lived a very full life and now in her twilight years had decided to let Isabella reveal the many secrets she had shared in a tell-all biography. The seriousness of the project was not lost on Meowkin nor Isabella. First though, it was time for beef in gravy (with real beef) and a small serving of warm milk. It was Meowkin’s firm belief that nothing can be achieved on an empty stomach. And she was right.