Old & New

How 'new' is new. I was born, and grew up in, a small town. "New" was a relative term as far as objects, ideas, and people went.

For people, perhaps if it was was less than 10 years since they moved into town, they were 'new'.

For ideas, they need only be the latest bright colours the boys were suddenly all sporting, with fluorescant ties or socks. They were 'new' & were certainly to be frowned upon.

Then there were the 'new' hairstyles that fancy, pelvis wriggling fool, Elvis Presley inspired. Long greasy looking duck tails, on the back of haircuts. Huge slick backs. Sideburns, which had gone out of fashion 20, 30, 40 years before!
'New' in the worst way, & suspect of course. No decent parent wanted their daughter going out with someone who looked like that Presley fool. Someone whose 'new' was to thrust his pelvis about, & pout.

Then the music was 'new' too, and that was a bit suspect. Although Bill Haley & the Comets were not so bad. They looked a bit older, not so 'new'.
The dance crazes they inspired were 'new' & quite frenzied. Perhaps they led to 'sexy' thoughts.

That was not 'new', but the young weren't supposed to know that. They were supposed to think it was not their right to think of such things.

Of course they inevitably did, & then they thought they had invented it. It was NEW, & their special secret.
Parents & 'old' people couldn't possibly know about this, or, if they did, they surely didn't know how to enjoy it. It was all part of their 'old' ways.

Friends were to made slowly, the old were more trustworthy, & the new looked upon with mistrust & suspicion.
What if they were not what they seemed?
Could they be trusted? Even after ten years of honest trading, they were still regarded as 'new'.
It was the country way, the small~town way. Do not be hasty to make 'new' friends.

When I moved to the city, life was different, the pace was faster.
Friends were made quicker, of necessity, & friends would come & go in your life, being no less 'friends' for the quickness of the relationships.

Fashions changed. Dance crazes came & went. The new quickly became the old.

Old friends, though. Really "OLD" friends. They could endure. They took a long time to make, & in the making, something intangible was built, as well as the simple appearing 'friendship'. Shared experiences, shared joys, griefs, delights. Shared sorrows, along with simple laughter & small joys.

I was lucky, growing up in that small town of my birth, because I forged friendships throughout school days. I still have some of those friendships, & I consider myself very privileged. The value of shared friendships still plays a part in my life today.

I have recently been contacted by an old school friend. We had lost touch for many years, but have found it wonderful to reminisce & catch up on shared aquaintances lives & pathways. This friend rings me, when she can, using her 'free' phone time. She lives interstate. It is amazing how many of us, from that small town, now live here in Australia. It is amazing how our memories from that time differ, but are the same.

Since I began blogging I have made many friends. Friends I may never meet in person, but nonetheless, I feel they are friends. Because I have only been blogging since 2006, they would not really be classified long term friends in the usual sense. However, I feel they are, in the world of cyber friends.

I was privileged to receive an award from one such "Old Friend", Tanya, of Anecdotally Yours. I can't remember exactly when I first met Tanya, but I have enjoyed her blog for as long as I can recall, in two incarnations.

Now, I am a dreadful rule breaker, so if you want to take this, please do, & if you want to know the rules for using it, please hurry on over to Tanya's to see her wonderful posts. (and read the rules of course!)
It does rather resemble me in the mornings!!


Plodding about in the garden, I looked for something to brighten the old blog.
All I could see was this lone Tibouchina flower. I should have taken the pic before the other blooms were finished!

This next blatant weed, is for Del of Del Quilts, who recently had a photo of a pretty yellow Oxalis weed on her blog. I told Del we have only the bright Pink Oxalis, so when I photographed this I was disappointed to see how pale it looks in the photo. It is growing in a rather shady position, but by the size of the leaves, it must be happy there!

This picture is of Sally, for Christine, of Winnowings. Sally is a doll I made for my daughter when she was about 3, so Sally is now aged 37. She has stood the test of time rather well considering how loved she was. She was the prototype of dolls I used to make & sell, & many I sold were made as "Bed Dolls".

I made variations of Sally to order. I crocheted the hair in yarn, & they idea was the 'hair' could be whatever colour a person chose for their decor. Many Sally's had orange or pink hair, with toning clothes to match.

This Sally was purple, because my daughter's bedroom was in pale & dark purple tones. Sally once had a vast wardrobe, but alas, all she seems to have left is her underwear, & a shirt that went with denim overalls. One of Sally's velvet shoes is in need of repair, & she appears to have food stains on her face. Her wig is coming adrift, so I might try washing her to see if she 'cleans up'!