The Queen's Birthday Weekend Queenspiration!

Well. You know it isn't even really Queen Liz's birthday but, with an extra day up my sleeve (kept up there like a carefully ironed hanky) I've been doing some blog housekeeping and visiting early blog posts  - back when I was the shy retiring type. So I'm showing you some of my Queenie things again! This coronation coach which was my mum's.

And you know the rhyme, "I went to London to visit the Queen"?  When I went to London as a nineteen year old I actually did see the Queen. At fairly close quarters too.

A childhood friend, Brendan, was touring England with a special cricket team called the Victorian Crusaders. Part of their tour was to play various teams, including the Queens Guard at a private match at Windsor Castle – really just a back yard cricket match at Liz’s place. I didn’t have a clearance to attend as a guest, but, being young and rather foolish, I decided I couldn’t possibly miss out on seeing my friend Brendan actually meeting the Queen. And besides, I was in the neighbourhood!

So I headed up to Windsor Castle. After wandering around the grounds a bit, I worked out where the cricket field was and literally, like the country girl I am, I jumped the fence.........where I came face to face with a burly beefeater guard. 

After I explained to him the significance of seeing my lifelong friend meet the Queen and telling him I’d come all the way from Australia, well, he....simply let me in. I wandered across the cricket field toward the gathering of people. Brendan couldn't believe it! (I was probably waving at him like a maniac, grinning like a Cheshire cat!)   I wouldn’t say I slipped in unnoticed into the garden party as I do recall wearing rainbow striped leggings with a short black dress trimmed in fur, a big black bouffant bob and false eyelashes.

There I was! At a private bbq in the Queen’s back yard! Then suddenly, there was the Queen. I was star struck and took a couple of terrible photos. Lucky I did though because if I didn't have the photos to prove it I probably wouldn't believe this story myself.

After a while in her presence, the Queen just seemed to be a little old lady – in black patent shoes and bright blue frock. It made me homesick for my granny.

Our re-sew-cool vintage stamp brooch was the brainchild of fellow sister outlaw, Lynne. It works well with our lovely recycled jumper felt and vintage mini ric rac! So "happy Unbirthday" Queen Elizabeth.

Being a zig zag.

On the weekend I went to Bendigo - on my own - to stay with my sister Sarah. It's strange to travel on your own when you are so used to always being with little people. It made me realise that I am NEVER alone. It's hard to relax and turn off the watchful-at-the-ready #for drinks-food-questions-injuries-cleaning- toilet-shoes-teaching-nosewiping-rescuing- conflict resolving# part of the brain. It's constant.
 
In fact, on Saturday I was at a loss. Sarah was at her drama group and I was wandering around the centre of town. I had to literally tell myself DON'T PANIC! RELAX!

a) there's no rush 
b) You have time and 
c) permission - to just wander.
d) stop feeling guilty!
 

And somehow I fell into the wandering days of my youth in Bendigo and went to some of my old haunts.

I went to the art gallery, the park, my old high school, book shops and the op shops. 

I found this wonderfully huge printed silk dress (which I will hopefully transform into an equally wonderfully not so huge printed silk dress)

This fantastic book on zig zag needlework.

It's made me realise how being available to everyone as a mother/wife/sister/friend, necessitates the fencing off of the free, wandering, creative part of your mind. The focus is always (over) half on others; work and duty. And they do seem to be mutually exclusive to some extent. You can dabble in the creative life - still dip your toes in and even wade - but you can't dive in and be submerged or swim off into the horizon. It's a zig zag.

Needless to say, I was completely relieved to get home to the brood and all their demands and the parametres they create on my mind ...and they way they expand my heart..