Rambling vines, roll top desks, cooking pots, a swing chair....



Most days my mind is like this flowering pink vine 
growing along our rooftop. It rambles, it wanders, 
it has a direction all it's own and some days 
it has no direction at all. 
I gave up trying to fight it long ago. 



Rambling vines and a garden...

Each morning, I take a cup of coffee and slowly wander around the garden.
I linger longest here....


Rambling vines, a garden and a roll top desk..

Do you enjoy rummaging around shops?
I can't resist a good rumble.
When I saw this roll top desk, tucked away 
in the corner of a local shop...I had an idea.





Fresh off the truck, into our home...
the desk is ready for me. 





Rambling vines, a garden, 
roll top desks and cooking pots...

On another occasion, I spotted these cooking pots
from northern Vietnam. Actually, that one is debatable.
They could very well be from Laos. Either way...
with a bit of mixing and matching, I selected ten.




On our front step....
I wondered, as I scrubbed away, about the history of the pots.
Where did they come from, how many people could 
they feed...how many celebrations were they part of?
The mind wanders and wonders.





 Rambling vines, a garden,  roll top desks, 
cooking pots and a motorcycle...

I won't deny it, I have a longing to grab hold 
of the handle bars of a motorcycle
and let it rip. I call it the 'Easy Rider' complex.
This one is a beauty.





But..perhaps this one is more my speed.




Rambling vines, a garden, roll top desks, 
cooking pots, a motorcycle and a swing chair.

When we first arrived in Vietnam, 
I spotted a swing chair for sale on a street corner. 
I loved it...but it didn't love me. 
I popped into it, kicked back and quickly landed 
on the ground with a big thud.
I thought it was the funniest and silliest thing I had ever done.
The shop assistants were in a state of confusion.
They said it was not for swinging.


For months, I have been searching for a swing chair, 
worthy of my weight and desire to swing from a tree.
When I spotted this one, I knew I had found it.

When we were preparing to hang it, I had to explain
that it would require a very heavy chain and lots of it. I intended
to stay above the ground and not on it.

I am happy to report...that an elephant could sit in this chair
and swing with glee...and not a flicker of dust 
would touch it's delicate bottom.

I love Vietnamese ingenuity.




 Rambling vines, 
a garden , 
roll top desks, 
cooking pots, 
a motorcycle, 
 a swing chair.. 
and Sydney.

From Vietnam to Australia...
signing off with a view from a flat in Sydney.
Where the kookaburras sing, 
the purple jacaranda trees are ablaze
and the crazy lady writes.




Thank you for letting me ramble.
I blame it on hormones.
Always the hormones
:)

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend!
I truly appreciate you reading along!!

Jeanne xx

Comments

  1. Good luck on your trip to Australia. Those purple trees look beautiful dotting the hills...sort of like our cherry blossoms. But those shops in Ho Chi Minh...those shops...yes, I like a good rumble!

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  2. Just above here you wrote may you discover something you LOVE...well I have...YOUR BLOG..I am so happy to have come across it. To think that not long ago I didn't even know what a blog was!! Oh where have I been living..on a rock slap bang in the Mediterranean Sea and a long way from my homeland Australia. Thanks Jeanne for such an inspiring read and sharing your adventures...enjoy Sydney. :) xx

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  3. i really like your ramblings. and really liking those pots!

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  4. I do love a wandering mind Jeanne. The posh name for it is a stream of consciousness!

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  5. not romantic, fortunately no photos, but your swing chair story reminded me of trying a fabric sling chair in a upmarket NYC shop. Sat and crashed to floor. Designer fabric had been only displayed on wooden sling, not attached. Getting up was hampered, impossible to do alone, by having knees hanging over front wooden edge, feet facing ceiling, rest of me wrapped in frame and fabric, and friend and I doubled over in embarrassed laughter. Prissy, style is everything, clerk, wanna be curator, was not amused and was beyond offering a hand. Once Kathy helped me up, we were so amused by his distress to this image destroying incident and his eagerness for us to disappear, she, a native New Yorker, cooly asked him if he had it in another color!

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  6. Wonderful ramblings, Jeanne. Really enjoyed this post.

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  7. Oh Jeanne - please ramble on - I love it - SO evocative - I can smell, taste and hear Vietnam through your posts - fortunately I don't feel the heat - yet! Enjoy your stay in Sydney - a little less steamy? F x

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  8. Love your new desk Jeanne.. well spotted, and those cooking pots.. gosh conversation pieces for sure. I just love the way you ramble.. this post was the best! xx loved it! Enjoy Pitt street, David Jones, and all the daughter/mom catch up special times.. have a great one.. 'Hi Sydney' miss you! x j

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  9. Dont know what i liked better. ... the desk or the hanging xchair. Actually its your morning garden spot. I would be hard pressed to leave that view ... ever!

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  10. You have a beautiful garden Jeanne. I love desk like that. So beautiful and functional! Have a safe trip to Sydney.

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  11. I am thrilled to have discovered your blog. Your life has me totally intrigued. You are blessed to be able to travel to such amazing places with your family. I look forward to reading so much more about you and your family.
    Thank you so much for your kind words. My photography is something I work on as often as I can, and my blog has been a saving grace these past few years.

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  12. Love the roll-top desk Jeanne, looks like you are finding wonderful treasures in Vietnam

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  13. I love your ramblings Jeanne... :)

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  14. Love your ramblings - and those cooking pots.

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  15. Jeanne,

    I love this post! Whatever it is the hormones or an active, curious, adventurous mind keep it up! Your spirit is infectious!

    As for the swing chair, I am laughing as I picture you flopped on the ground after trying one out.

    Enjoy your trip to Australia, will you see both of your children? Be safe, enjoy family and friend and keep wandering!

    Elizabeth

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  16. Hello Jeanne to you there in "Down under" sunny Australia.
    loved your post.. the pink climber on your roof is stunning.
    your desk..well, what a find
    never seen pots like that..probably to feed a whole family cooking different foods in each on on the fire! old fashioned country steamer!):
    I love to wonder around old antique shops.. they are only in the city.
    happy weekend. enjoy your stay with your daughter
    val

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  17. Jeanne, I have to laugh when I think about you sitting in that "swinging" chair. It's something I would do. I'm so glad you're sharing your ramblings, they're so rich with imagery of another faraway place. And now Australia? Wow. Have a wonderful visit and keep us posted.
    Leslie (aka Gwen Moss)

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  18. Your home is so beautiful, Jeanne.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

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  19. Enjoyed the shopping adventure...fun to try new things, eh?

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  20. Loved to read this post, thanks!
    Maureen

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  21. I adore those pots. A wonderful find that I hope brings you joy and memories of your current home.

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  22. What a lush garden - so much vivid green and the desk is a real find. I love desks with lots of nooks and crannies.
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

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  23. Hi, Jeanne. Great post. All your photos of Vietnam are so interesting. Marvelous pots. There are similar ones in Tunisia, but they're going out of style with the younger generation, who want stainless steel. I enjoyed visiting!
    best, nadia

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  24. WOW what a wonderful post:)
    Your blog is so lovely and Im following I hope you follow me back:)

    If you want som decor advice..check out my new post:)

    have a lovely day dear

    LOVE Maria from inredningsvis.se
    (sweden)

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Can I just say....that I so enjoy what YOU have to say. If you would like to write to me directly, I would love to hear from you... jeannecollageoflife@gmail.com

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