Two

In numerology*, apparently Two is the most feminine of all the numbers. While humble, gentle, graceful and understanding, her power and strength isn't to be underestimated.  Two is the ultimate survivor. 

In times of hardship, she bends to carry the weight. Head down, as far as she needs to bend. This flexibility in her nature also means that once the burden is lifted, she'll always find her form once again. Irrepressible. Tough. 

These two. My strength.

Holidays soon. Reprieve is coming. Time to breathe, smooth out the creases in my heart and quiet my mind.

Belinda x

PS.  If you have a chance - why not pop over to Edenland. Eden is one seriously tough chick but even the strongest of us can buckle under the weight of the world sometimes. Would be pretty great if you could leave a comment and show her some love.

* Please dont mistake me for some kind of numerology expert, I literally just learnt about this thanks to the interwebs. I find it fascinating and the symbolism of two seemed kind of perfect.

** Notice I (almost) refrained from using 'number two' references, although that would also rather aptly describe life lately.

Amanda

This girl.

The Kylie to my Danni.

The Beyonce to my Solange.

The Maggie to my Lisa.

My little Munchkin (sorry Mand!) who grew up and left to explore the world three years ago, is finally, coming home.

I've missed this girl more than I could ever describe. I love her beyond measure.

Three weeks left till she's home. It simply cannot come soon enough.

Sending virtual hugs with the most wonderful feeling, in knowing that they will be real ones, real soon!

Belinda x

Come with me on a journey through time and space

NYC Grand Central Terminal, ca 1935 - 1941
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

I'm so inspired by photography. But there's something especially magical about vintage photographs. I have a box full from my nana that I'm planning to digitise for her. I lose hours going through them, poring over the details. You can see some vintage photo's of my beautiful nanas Elsie and Joan, in previous posts here and here.

The New York City Municipal Archives have recently released a huge collection of 870,000 images to the public which offer us a glimpse into life in the city of dreams in the early twentieth century.  I love seeing what life might have been like, extraordinary landmarks and the most ordinary of daily activities lit with the warmth of nostalgia.

The images below were sourced from The Atlantic, you can see the rest of their collection here. I had a hard time choosing which pictures to post. Once immersed, you could resurface from this collection and realise the moon has risen many times over.  You have been warned ;-)

6th and 40th Street, 18 May 1940
Look closely, the newspaper headline reads "Nazi army now 75 miles from Paris"
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Original City Hall station, 1904
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Bleeker Street, August 1937
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Boys playing stick ball, 1916-1920
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Times Square, January 1938
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Traffic jam in Manhattan, 29 January 1923
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

Trolley car driver, 25th September 1924
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

View from NY Tower Bridge, 22nd December 1936
(Source: NYC Municipal Archives)

And, since we're in flashback mode, I was delighted to discover some online archives of my home. I mentioned you could get lost in all this vintage photography right?

The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney has published a number of amazing interactive collections online. Many images have been determined by the Museum to have  ‘no known Copyright’ and are being made available for public download through the Commons on Flickr.

Riding a pony to school.  LOVE that the girl is in charge!
(source)

King & George Street, Sydney
(Source)

Middle Harbour Bridge
(Source)

Bondi Bay, Sydney
(Source)

Queen Victoria Markets, now Queen Victoria Building
(source)

Manly Beach, Sydney
(Source)

Sydney Observatory
(Source)

So gorgeous! If you're not suffering from vintage photo fatigue by now, The Tyrrell Collection is another stunning record of country and city life in Australia during the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Belinda x

* Post title, a quote from The Mighty Boosh.

Three years in the life of...

This trying for a baby thing is simply that. Trying.  

It's a roller coaster that we seem to be forever stuck on. Around again we go, shaken from left to right, highs, lows, over and over. 

Most days, buoyed by love and support from friends, family, my husband, there is hope. We have fantastic medical support from the most professional and capable team. Life is good and I feel strong.

There are some days though, it's just too hard. It's just not fair. I go through the motions, talking to colleagues, friends, family. Talking about things other than the things I want to scream and cry about. Some days it feels like I have to stay numb and out of my body, just to make it through.

No answers, no reasons to lay blame, just three years, four miscarriages, countless tests and treatments. I dont know how some women can keep at it, enduring more than I have, and keep hoping for a miracle. I dont know how I am. I dont know if I can continue to. All I know for now is, I'm not ready to give up.

I'm so lucky to be going through this with my great love. I know it's just as heartbreaking for him. Yet, on the days he sees me struggling, he does the smallest things to show that he gets it. Like doing the grocery shopping (which he hates more than most things) cooking dinner, bringing me cups of tea, making sure the cupboard is stocked with tim tams, turning my electric blanket on early (which I always forget to do)....the littlest things, that mean the most. Sending little signals to remind me that he understands and he's in this with me.

Maybe one day I'll write more about our journey. I dont feel brave enough right now. It's so incredibly personal. But ladies like Mia and Eden, have inspired me to share my experience. It's personal and it's hard to talk about but it's certainly nothing I'm ashamed of.

It reminds me of a line out of "3 years, 5 months & 2 days in the life of..." the video released by Arrested Development in 1992 about the making their album of the same name.  Lead singer, Speech, talks about the process of songwriting "there's something about putting your pains on wax, it stays there.."  

I've gained some some clarity and calm in writing and sharing this much.

A heavy topic, I know. It's where I'm at. I'm hoping you'll understand. And maybe you'll keep your fingers crossed for us.

Belinda x

Vessels & Blooms, Jack Long

Fresh flowers around the house feel like such a luxury and a necessity at the same time. Especially since the cooler weather is keeping us indoors more often. Last weekend, the little one and I picked out some gorgeous purple blooms from the farmers markets to scatter around the house, and she brought home a new succulent for her bedroom window sill that she named, Violet.

I'm amazed by these photographs, a collection called Vessels & Blooms by Jack Long.  After months of experimentation, he's manipulated liquid in motion to capture these 'fluid flower' images in one high speed shot.  ONE single exposure to turn water into blooms. To create and capture these beautiful, brief moments in time. Unbelievable.

Photography, I'm learning is all about practice, patience and a little bit of luck. Jack Long clearly has all of this in spades. From someone who is just starting out (and is rather lacking in all, especially the patience department), a tip of the hat !

Belinda x