What's Bill Up To?

Remember Bill? From HERE? Well, I sat and had a chat to him yesterday.

Originally I was all fired up to do some exercise. It was a glorious day but in the thick of it I decided that I just really didn't feel like it. You know those days? 'If it doesn't feel right, don't do it'....that's my philosophy these days. I was pleased to see Bill was out and about, sitting in the sun, eating his cereal. I hadn't seen him in ages.

We chatted about his artwork. He's moved on from his 'French Impressionist' style landscapes to groovy, tribal art, clothing designs.....

..... and beautiful Australian landscapes. 

Bill's inspiration for these came from a local Aboriginal women and her stories.

I love his trees. I love their gnarled branches. See the little bird's nest in the branches, in the one above?

Those little dots on the horizon are wildflowers blossoming after the recent rains. The heavy footprints in the foreground are there to show that the land is sodden. 

Bill wrote a poem about the wildflowers. He has beautiful handwriting. We discussed some of his poems and the drawings that inspire his poems.

Bill mentioned that he loves Henry Lawson's poetry. He once had a beautiful big book of his poems. He spoke of it with such longing and fondness. He even uses 'Lord Harry' (one of Henry Lawson's favourite books) as his own art moniker. One glance at his shopping trolley, scant with his worldly possessions, and I knew that that book was no more.

I asked Bill if his moods or circumstances influenced his artwork. He said he drew this one day when a few local people's attitudes were getting him down:

It's called 'Empty Vessels'.

Bill showed me some of the photos a local photographer, Lachlan Gardiner, took of him. The sunset in this one is magical. Look how it picks up the yellow in Bill's flowers:

I told him I loved his flowers and how he varied his floral arrangements each day. I told him I was originally drawn, to stop and speak to him, through the blue flower arrangement he had on his table the first day I met him.

He looked this photo out and gave it to me! Because it has my favourite 'Bill floral arrangement' in it! He said he knew I would like it. It's another one taken by Lachlan Gardiner. I will treasure it. It will always remind me of the time I lived in West End and the wonderful locals I met.

As I was leaving, Bill took a deep breath and said, "smell the breeze? There's no pollution in that today. It's fresh, straight from the mountains". He was totally savouring the moment, the sun, the beautiful day, his blessings, my visit. My fingers were totally numb from that 'breeze', the breeze that Bill lives in 24/7. It was cold. And I was going home to a warm shower. Bill wasn't.

Warm from my shower, I couldn't stop thinking about Bill. I wanted to do something nice for him. Something that would last longer than a warm shower. So I hightailed it down to 'Bent Books' in West End, in search of some Henry Lawson poetry for Bill.

Bingo!

I swear you can find anything in that bookstore! Both books are illustrated with the most glorious Pro Hart paintings. Bonus! As Bill does not have a computer, or electricity for that matter, he does not know I am coming armed with his favourite poetry this morning! I hope it brings him some joy.

Someone, please discover Bill and his talents, so he gets famous and gets a warm house to live in. Everyone needs somewhere warm and safe to live.

The Gift of Friendship

Today I received in the mail a beautiful package from a very dear friend. Rox has become a wonderful friend I have made through this medium of blogging.

Isn't the gift just so beautiful? The letter was personal  and homely (just what I love) and the aroma from the candles was heavenly as I opened the parcel.  I have them near me know as I type this up, bringing to mind the treasured friendship that has come from Rox and others I now know.


When I started blogging over 2 years ago now, Rox was one of the first people who followed my blog. At that time I was very inexperienced in the ways of computers and all the accompanying gadgetry and not at all sure I had anything to offer in the blogging world.

Through blogging, social networks and email groups and later on Facebook I have come to know some wonderful ladies who I would consider kindred spirits. With a few I have exchanged the old fashioned type letters and gotten to know even better.

I still find it difficult to understand how some people still insist on the fact that due to it's electronic focus that blogging or FB or even social network groups cannot create REAL friendships.

I say this from personal experience....... I believe it can. That some of the dearest friends I have made in my life have been from initial phone friendships and now blogging.

Some of these friends I have met with and some I will never meet in person due to the vast oceans of water that are between us. But I still know that I can rely on these friends to pray for me, encourage me and to just be who they are.... as I am me.

In days gone past many friendships and romances were conducted by 'snail mail' and were true relationships. I just really can't see why the modern system we have can not be viewed as the same.

However, I as a relatively isolated person am VERY, VERY grateful for those wonderful women who have become near and dear to me. I treasure the trust and the gift of friendship that I have with them.

So I would just like to say to anyone else, don't be shy, open up and let others be gifted by who you are and what opportunities you may have to develop true friendships and kindred spirits, perhaps even with people you wouldn't have thought of.

I have never regretted it and I am sure you won't either.

 Blessings to you and your homes,