Journal ~ In limbo as a last bastion of childhood falls

It’s already over a week since I returned home from my Mongolian adventure. I still have many posts to write about that, but this isn’t going to be one of them. Just to prove I’m not a one-trick pony. (ha!)

I have other things on my mind.

Last bastion of childhood

The house I grew up in (from age 5) was demolished this week. My parents are developing the site, and various delays have meant this was a long time coming… but still I’m finding it rather emotional.

allowed to SMASH walls

allowed to draw on walls

art on the walls

farewell message

It starts – 22 July

final claim

Progress – 22 July

Nearly there – 23 July

In June, just before my parents moved out of the house for the final time, we had a family farewell event that involved drawing on walls (gasp!) and getting stuck in with a hammer (waah!). My nieces and nephews had a ball.

By the end of this week, it will all be gone.

Although we’re all excited about the impending new townhouses, I personally can’t help but feel sad at what is undoubtedly the end of an era. I lived in that house for over 25 years. It has been the hub of our family for all that time.

Uncountable family celebrations — Christmases, birthdays, graduations. Cooking disasters. Backyard sport. Tantrums. Laughter.

Once, as I stood in the now-flattened jarrah kitchen, a defiant teenager, my mum threw a tub of cornflower on my head. Frustration quickly grew into laughter.

(Better stop. I need tissues.)

Anyway, I just wanted to mark the occasion.

In limbo

Another preoccupation has been my disrupted creative routine.

Routine is a funny thing. I was in a fabulous rhythm for most of the months leading up to the expedition. My creative endeavours were rollicking along nicely and I felt as though I was kicking goals.

But now I find myself in a weird kind of limbo. As I sit here eying a frenzied three-month period of client work, I’m wondering whether I should make the effort to re-establish daily weekday cafe writing sessions. They will either keep me sane in the face of a massive workload… or push me over the edge.

Of course, I’ve returned from what was at least half an experiential research trip bursting with ideas for cultural textures I want to apply to my current work in progress. As well as generally inspired by life and the great beyond to forge ahead and create.

So how much do I allow myself to be swept up in creative endeavours in the next few months? The fact I have a writing retreat scheduled for later in August is providing the ultimate temptation.