Rhythm of Life

First week of February and I feel like my life is back on track after the freewheeling holidays. I have started my art classes again and feel such excitement that I just want to keep painting. I have volunteered to help out an organisation that assists people to transition from work to retirement. I will be doing some cataloguing of their photos so it feels good to be helping and using my skills too.

Book club had its first meeting and we had a very vigorous discussion over 'A little life'. We all decided it was a profound read and very importantly, well written. 

I have been struggling with hay fever for the last two weeks and resorted to taking antihistamines daily. My eyes were streaming and crusty in the mornings. Yuk and uncomfortable. I postponed giving blood because I thought I was sick but in the end I think it was just hayfever. I never used to suffer this but I do now.

I have been fascinated with the city skyline over the last two weeks. The changing moods are quite intriguing and I have taken lots of photos. Today it looks like a gauze lays over the city because it is almost white and the buildings seem soft grey without any distinct lines.

I am still working on getting the second bedroom set up and the excess 'stuff' moved from the wardrobe  and the lounge room. It is a slow business or rather a boring task and I keep taking lots of breaks. I have been feeling quite tired from resuming the gym  and other regular activities. Going too hard as usual! 

I finally told my sons that I was going to start dating and they went through all the cautionary rhetoric that made me smile inwardly. Particularly the bit about weirdos and it not being like it was in ' my day'. It is rather sweet and amusing having your grown up children giving you advice! In the end they were okay with the idea though Nick announced (smiling)he would probably kill anyone who hurt me! Very protective.

I am resolved to really get my financial house in order so that I have a very clear picture of my circumstances and can manage it better than I am now. 

The end of the holidays

Last week was full on with my friend from the country down and visits from Roger from Sydney which precipitated Yum Cha with the family.  I squeezed in a walk along the river which was delightful even though it was wet. You can feel very 'in rhe bush' down by the river as it is so peaceful hidden row boatsreflections on the river.
I have seen enough movies to earn a free pass after all the visitors this week!  

I have yet to get my lounge room organised but as I am not working I am not stressing over that task. I have needed to organise a lot of appointments so it seems like the holiday period is over. The kids go back to school next week which is the official end of summer holidays. 

It was Australia Day on Tuesday and I wasn't feeling good with a sore throat but in the end I was sick of myself as well and took off to the open day at Government House, which I had never visited and then to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Ai WeiWei and Andy Warhol exhibition. There were lots of antique cars on display leading up to Government House which was interesting too.

The classic Monaro

Ai WeiWei Caonima Balloon Bird Balloo installations.

government house 1876

Had Ziggy as usual and visited with my friend Jane who has a little West Highland terrior which Ziggy was keen to take for a walk to the park. He discovered that Blackie was quite strong and it isn't quite as easy as it looks but he loved him and learned about how dogs get to know you by sniffing and licking. We had a lovely time at her place. Ziggy watered the vegetables, rolled in the grass and ate lots. I had to remind him that he wasn't at home and couldn't just assume he could ask for whatever he wanted. When we left he spontaneously burst out with a ' thank you for having me' and gave lots of bye byes. I was so proud of him.

I have missed time with my girlfriends which is a new feeling.  Being free to just ring and say lets have dinner and a movie  was something I took for granted. The ensuing chit chat is always interesting and broad of topic. My idea to extend my circle of friends to include opportunities to meet men is good in theory but quite hard to actually achieve and the effort required  is enormous. Makes me wonder if I really want to. 

I have volunteered to assist with some cataloguing for a Life Activities Organisation and also to be part of a focus group as well. It is a foray into a new world away from work. I need to be careful not to book up my time because I want to get writing and painting this year. I have to keep focused!

Mum's cancer has moved to her liver which was disappointing but inevitable. She is still well and not inclined to take any treatment but I have finally decided not to go to the UK after all. The trip to Japan is as far as I want to go or as long as I want to be away when Mum is managing her condition. I feel sure I will need to assist Mum  after Jonathan's wedding in September.  A pessimistic view but I think Mum is readying herself to join Dad. I will be bereft when she is no longer amongst us. 

The weather has been so humid and then hot and wet. Not typical Melbourne weather.

A golden morning guilds the buildings at 6 am

The same day at 1:30pm as a storm rolls over the city.

Missed publishing a post.

I just discovered that I hadn't posted the cruise with Mum. I had so much trouble with the internet while away.  It is completely out of synch now but it won't matter I suppose. 

Today I found out about Mum's cancer development and it has moved into her liver. They are still suggesting she will have 12 to 18 months but we are just hoping she will be okay for the Wedding. 

It is a rather disappointing development. I had hoped it would be slow growing but it is what it is and we just have to accept.

The cruise with Mum

We have returned from our cruise around New Zealand. It was a great success and Mum had a most enjoyable time. We were a little disappointed that we did not sail out of Sydney in the daylight as expected. There were some repairs required on the propeller apparently. We just had champagne and met fellow sailors to fill in time. We then explored the ship. 

The lights of Sydney were beautiful as we passed out of the harbour

Then we were on the open seas and a large swell was rolling. That was funny as we staggered up hallways and down staircases or found the fastest lifts. Everyone had an air of excitement about the next two weeks.  I had taken the Kwells for sea sickness and they worked perfectly the whole time. We found the library and snaffled the only scrabble board for the days ahead.

We soon felt at home and after dinner went to the Blues club for music before bed. 

The rocking of the boat was very soothing and we slept well. From then on it was breakfast, scrabble, activity, ( facial, massage, walk around the deck, visit the art gallery) lunch, scrabble, dance classes, talking to people, trivia, bingo, oh! Gosh it is time for dinner! Dinner, a show and then the blues club or piano bar before bed. 

The days changed when we had shore stops. Sailing into Milford sound was quite spectacular, we saw dolphins and the tail of a whale. Next was Dusky Sound and then Doubtful Sound.

The clouds fulfilled the old name 'Land of the long white cloud'.

We saile around the bottom of New Zealand and it was incredibly rough and windy but we were comfortable. Our first port was Duneden where we went ashore and took a hop on hop off tour to cover all the best places. The botanical gardens were particularly beautiful.

 

Back in Melbourne

I have returned to Melbourne and the weather is HOT- 40 degrees and higher. The balcony plants are all looking fried. I will have to reconstruct my garden now I am home. I have returned to a tip in the lounge room because I have all the furniture from the second bedroom in there waiting to be emptied and removed. The new pull down bed is fabulous as is the new desk but I haven't had time to get on top of the cleanup. Because it was my birthday the  week i returned I have been out lunching and dining most days as well as minding Ziggy. 

Dinner with the family and Ziggy for my birthday at a Vietnamese Restaurant.

 I have also had an all day art class in the Botanical gardens which was challenging and fun. 

This  week I have finally realised that I am not returning to paid work and it feels a bit odd. I would usually be at enrolments and getting ready for classes. It feels wonderful to be free but also strange and disorienting. I am sure I will adjust. I have signed up for a Thursday art class and will attend Dawn's monthly workshops but I will attempt to keep a freer schedule this year. I need to save the money too with Japan coming up as well as Jonathan's wedding! 

Punting on the lake in the Botanical gardens. 

January 5 Th Ballina

We have finally settled down and started to relax. The rhythm of the days is wake with the morning light, read awhile, have breakfast then swim ,  read, lunch, read, swim, dinner and read in bed.The weather has been really wet and so swimming hasn't been on the agenda so much and the surf is very choppy even if it is warm. Irene and I spent a morning soaking in the rock pools.

We tried meditating but I kept feeling little critters  nibbling my bottom which was rather disturbing!

We have been shopping and to the Byron Market where I had a Tarot reading. Haven't done that for awhile but it was fun and maybe useful. At least the reader thought I was younger. I have been having some flirtatious emails with the country romance but the power keeps running out and it takes ages to charge. He rang one morning because I hadn't sent any communications for a day or so but it is rather inhibiting having conversations in the tent. Everyone can hear everything you say!

We went to see Starwars with Jan and Ron which was fun.  Irene and I went to browse the shops and I saw a new bikini which I liked. They are so pricey though and I wanted to be more frugal this year. I have a few bills yet to pay from the holiday but it is a well made bikini and looks good. I will put it on hold and make do. We will be going out to dinner tonight because we like to alternate and the esky doesn't keep much food overall.

Today I bustled Irene and Bill down to the beach before it rained so we could get a swim. It seems to take ages to get ready with sun screen and gathering our towels and hats, I get a bit frustrated and just want to get going. It rained while we were in swimming but the temperature was still warm. I managed a few great rides on the boggy board.

Cousin Jan made a visit to check out the camping and ended up staying over night. She was pretty stoic about sleeping on a mat in her sleeping bag. We had a good day though with swims and walks and then dinner at a new burger place in Lennox head followed by delicious ice creams.

The tent opposite us were very noisy all night which made everyone cranky( though I actually slept through most of it amazingly). Not good camping etiquette. If you want to party past 10:30 pm you need to go to the beach where no one will hear you. 

On my last morning I had the best surf. The water was glassy green and perfectly clear. No white foamy backwash either. I had several great rides in to the shire and on my final run I was laughing with joy until I stopped at the feet of this young woman. She made a comment about me enjoying myself so I offered her the boogie board.  She was taken aback at first but when I explained it was given to me second hand and that I couldn't take it on the flight home and I always give the boards away she was thrilled to take it. As I left the beach I saw her plunge into the surf. It is good to share the fun.

Bill and I pulled down my tent and surprise, surprise even mamged to get it back into the carry bag. Once in the suitcase , I finished packing the wet towels and bathers and after a shower I was ready to go.

Christmas Day and following

Christmas Day was a fun but an exhausting day. We went across to Roger's place for lunch.(Another brother-in-law , I have five!) There I met up with cousins Selina and Jaquie and several of Roger's friends who had travelled from Melbourne, Canberra and Cairns to celebrate with him.  About 18 of us. The food everyone brought was fantastic and so a grand feast ensued.

We played a KrisKringle game where you could take your other guests KrisKringle or select from the pile. It was hilarious and played with such good spirit. My two other B-I-laws turned up after their stint at the Wayside Chapel where they had served about 800 less fortunate people at a charity lunch. The Wayside Chapel Christmas lunch is a highly sought after volunteering opportunity because many celebrities ( current prime minister  Malcolm Turnbull is a regular) donate their time to this charity and this day. My brother-in-law Gary has been doing this for several years now.  

Talking with to so many people at Roger's who I only see spasmodically became pretty intense so that by about 4 pm I felt myself flagging and retreated to the stairwell for respite.  The young ones decided to leave and then it was a matter of bargaining as to who would return to collect us.  

Eventually we returned home to Clovelly and ate some more for dinner! David, Gary and I decided to play cards. 21 at first then 7s which I had learned from my English friends and played continually in Spain on the Camino. It was only then that we realised the pack was three cards short. Not to be deterred we made makeshift  substitutes and continued playing.  It was a fun tussle and we each one a game.  Thanks to Gary's hospitality I've discovered French Champagne doesn't give me a hangover!

Next day it was a casual breakfast and then niece Mitzi, who is learning to drive, drove me to the airport for my flight to Brisbane. Tim my brother picked me up and we drove to my elder brother's home where another Christmas/ Boxing Day lunch was taking place.  More champagne and present sharing then off to Southport with Mum to stay with Tim and Donna for a few days before moving onto Ballina and Flat Rock camping.

Tim and Donna have had a stressful time recently so we were a welcome diversion, playing scrabble ( always when Mum is around!) which created lots of laughs and good natured ribbing. Mum and I took in the movie 'the Suffragettes' which we really enjoyed and found quite enlightening. We then spent time in the Art Gallery before returning home. It was a good time and the next day I took everyone to Yum Cha and Mum off shopping. She always says when I am around she spends money, which is true because it is one of the few times she gets to go browsing in the shops.  

Next stop, Ballina and Irene and Bill at Flat Rock. The coast has been blasted with strong winds and squalls such that one of Bill's tarpaulin poles was bent horizontal from the force! He was adjusting the wind break when we arrived and Tim helped him out but was quite happy to return to his apartment and leave us to the wind and rain in the tents. My new tent was erected on our site but in what had become a walkway for a group of kids from several families holidaying together. Irene wanted to deter them from walking through by hanging a washing line, but the kids just run under her knickers anyway!

It seems more crowded this year somehow but they are all good natured and happy so really no complaints. I persuaded Bill to go surfing with me, a first for the season despite the wind. It was exhilarating but a challenge keeping my bikini on!

We went off to the Ballina RSL for New Years Eve as we have for the last few years.  They run a comedy night with excellent comedians and a meal  with all the hooters and glow sticks etc thrown in. We share a table and this time we are in the front table again but with a very different group of people. Cody and Kay the couple opposite Bill were interesting. He was about fortysh, obese and blind from a tumour and macular degeneration and no longer works. He supplements his pension with being the' Blind Blues Busker' around the surrounding towns. He blames his obesity on the illness but I wondered if the bottles of Coke he was drinking was also part of the problem. Kay his fiancé seemed a kind pleasant woman but I didn't get to talk with her much. Roger and Denise were from England originally and now retired; she volunteered with an animal rescue group, then there was Noah from Kentucky who came out to Australia in the 70s to avoid conscription to Vietnam and never went back. He was a nice guy and we had some good conversation but no sparks. He made a point of thanking me for a great night afterwards. He knew Mandy Nolan (MC) and the first support act. Irene was digging me in the back asking if he had ' potential'? Then there was Karen and Bill a younger couple who became a feature of some repartee with the comedians. Karen got carried away and wouldn't shut up and when she was dismissed by Steady Eddy quite politely, she retaliated by raising her top and flashing her breasts! Most people didn't realise when Steady Eddy made comment that she really had flashed her boobs. It was so inappropriate and they were not fabulous looking breasts either. The couple had a few playful spats through the evening too and I thought they were both ' very common' as my mother would say. I mean, this wasn't a music festival or a pub that does wet Tshirt competitorns!  The comedy seemed particularly raunchy this year but it was funny most of the time and we really had a lot of laughs.

After midnight we went downstairs to the dancing but the band only played on for a while and that was a fizzer.. Murray and Belinda ( friends from the campsite) joined us but got talking about another couple who used to camp near us who were great friends. They have fallen out and the other couple have gone bankrupt and the husband has told lies to Belinda and Murray apparently. I didn't want to hear it and felt really sad. I was a bag of mixed emotions I couldn't quite explain. Uncomfortable about the prodding from Irene perhaps, the boob flashing that seemed to denigrate women in my view, the fact that I didn't want the negativity of the conversation about the messed up lives, a sense of wanting to escape, a wish to be talking to the 'country romance' instead perhaps. I don't feel sad very often but perhaps it was just one comedy night too many and time for a change. Roll on 2016 and new adventures.

Happy New Year.