Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

I Am a Folk Festival

This is the last in my series of National Folk Festival (the Nash) posts.  The title of this post is taken from Canberra poet, Josh Inman’s poem, ‘I Am a Folk Festival‘, that I heard him perform at the Nash last weekend.  Josh said that the moment he steps through the gate he gets a shiver, a sense of freedom.  This perfectly sums up the way I feel about the Nash.  Josh said ordinary people live ordinary lives.  But the Nash is extraordinary.  It makes everything seem possible.  We can be extraordinary.  So, he would rather be a folk festival.  That really spoke to me.  I can be a folk festival too.  Is that too corny?  I guess you had to be there. Read more

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Bollards Are Not a Smiling Matter, Unless…

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge  — Smile

The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge asks us to show a smile (ours or someone else’s), or a photo which makes others smile, or both.  We can also share a photo of something that has brought a moment of joy into our lives recently, or that focuses on the outcome of that joy.  Here are some photos of festive bollards that make me smile. Read more

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Stand And Deliver

You will all be thoroughly sick of me posting about about my National Folk Festival (the Australian one) soon.  I post about the Nash like a mother posts about a new baby.  All. The. Time.  Have I told you it is my favourite place in the entire world?  Anyway, this post is about my favourite place within my favourite place —  The Stock Camp.

The Australian bush and the characters that inhabit it have become the stuff of legends;  they’ve entered into our folklore.  The traits of these pioneers – an independent streak, larrikinism, mateship, egalitarianism, belief in the fair-go, toughness, stoicism and courage – immortalised by poets such as Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson, are meant to embody the Australian spirit.  If it all sounds to be good to be true, then it probably is.  Nevertheless, this spirit oozes from the Stock Camp at the Nash, and I love it.  Read more

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Beam Me Up Folkie

WordPress Daily Prompt  —  Radiant

I’ve just returned from five days in a perfect world, my National Folk Festival (Australia).  I want to write lots about it, and I will.  But in the meantime, here are a few photos that convey the daily prompt, ‘radiant’. Read more

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Coffee, Don’t Leave Me This Way

WordPress Daily Prompt  –  Conjure

The thing I most look forward to each year is not Christmas, birthdays, the football finals, or Mother’s Day; it’s the National Folk Festival (affectionately known as the Nash or the Folkie in our household).  The Folkie is about to roll around again and so we are dusting off our tie- dye and beanies in anticipation of four perfect days.  Every year is memorable but some are more memorable than others. Read more