Bouncing back

"Take your time,

think a lot,

think of everything you've got."

~ Cat Stevens (lyrics from Father and Son)

My little glimpse into the life of a tripod hound this week was enlightening.

Here was this little hound with only 3 legs and he thought he was normal. 

As he raced through the puddles nothing was held back.  

No leeway was expected and none was given.

He wasn’t limited by his obvious disability.

NOT that it was obvious to everyone.

Everytime a new hound arrived to share in the fun, he’d race up to them.

None were as fast as him.

Especially not the “tank” dog.

He didn’t bounce through the puddles, he PLOUGHED through them.

Except when he walked on water!

THE hound of course had a log to carry.

Logs are way more interesting than a tripod hound.

That little tripod hound got me thinking though.

Struggles shouldn’t be seen by us as disabling either.

They shouldn’t hinder us.

Or stop us.

Adaptation is often necessary.

If a situation can’t be changed, it should be embraced as, 

no matter how difficult a struggle might be, 

there is something enabling about it too.

If we’re lucky, we bounce back as a better version of ourselves, 

able to do good in a broken world.

Hopefully gracefully, just like the Tripod Hound.

I like that thought, though bouncing GRACEfully isn’t part of my repertoire

As we zoom into January my world is still full on busy.

Holidays over the festive season are non-existent when you work in the fashion industry.

EVERYONE wants to shop.

Now it’s the January sales!

Disarray and chaos abound.

Time out at the Spa on Kaipara is becoming a regular necessity.

Even the drive up is a chilled affair.

The bubbles in the spa are warm and the bubbles in the glass are cold.

A symbiotic relationship like no other!

Add to the mix time-out with my buddy, 

no mobile signal and cuddles from her hounds

 .... all 8 of them .... 

and all the disarray and chaos of the week evaporates.

It’s a good feeling.

“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing.  

She goes where she will, 

without pretense, 

and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself.” 

~ Maya Angelou

Oh yes ... it's a TIGGER kind of morning!

My morning rambles are often punctuated by social discourse with a variety of friends.  The hound of course doesn’t approve of these frequent interruptions to her ramble.  She has a one-track mind.  It’s bad enough that I insist on waiting at the view site for the sun to rise, without having to break stride for social chit-chat.

We were already slightly late leaving this morning ... not because the middle lemming was late or tired ... but because I was TIRED.  Life and it’s stresses are catching up with me and the body’s shouting ‘HELP’ .... loudly.

I ignore its pleas though ... as I ignore anything I disagree with ... and head out the door to get my morning fix of sunshine and soul food.  A very NECESSARY elixir for life.

Tranquility is defined as a state of peace and calm ... free from disturbances and noise.  My early mornings have been anything BUT tranquil lately.  I’m leaving home whilst it’s still dark but so are so many others.  There are unfamiliar ramblers with loud voices, and joggers with heavy feet pounding the pavement and lycra clad loonies on their two-wheel conveyances.

The streets are BUSY ....  and  NOISY.

The lycra-clad looneys are part and parcel of the early morning vista  ... both visually and vocally ... but they move past rapidly and take their noise with them.  The unfamiliar ramblers don’t.

Why does everyone suddenly want a piece of my early morning magic?

We greet several familiar ramblers as we bounce ... oh yes, it’s a Tigger kind of morning .... back down to the beach.  These ramblers know the secret of the magic in the morning and smile serenely back, secure in the knowledge that they, like us, will still be walking up to the viewsite when the frosty fingers of winter engulf us.

The unfamiliar ramblers might not.

Pete was standing on the boardwalk enjoying the morning vista and drinking his coffee.  We discussed cricket ... the Black Cap kind .... the Titanic and cruising in general whilst watching a cruise ship zig-zag through the shipping lane into Auckland Harbour.  It never ceases to make me smile when I see these large liners cruising past so close to shore.

Pete was feeling invincible.  The girls at the Co-op had been having a problem with the coffee grinder and had intended calling out someone to fix it .... but Pete had fixed it for them.  He’s 'the man' and he was revelling in it.  I didn’t dare burst his bubble.

Moira and Fergus joined us on the beach too.  Fergus also likes to be ‘the man’ and puts himself between the hound and the waves.  She finds him quite intimidating ... despite his small stature ... and runs warily around him to retrieve the ball.  He visibly STRUTS when he’s doing it and is so FUNNY to watch! He’s TYPICAL terrier - LARGER than life and not AFRAID of the hound.

It’s not just my hound that’s confused when I’m in the water with her.  Nico had the same quizzical expression on his face when Brian took to the waves today.  Any swim he might have had would have been unintentional as he was only trying to encourage Nico to go deeper.  I had the camera at the ready just in case Brian happened to trip.  

You have to capture these moments for posterity and I know Brian would have thanked me for thinking like that!  He did, after all, neglect to catch one of Carol’s ‘MOMENTS’ on camera a while back.

This is what makes my village real.  The uncomplicated and crazy folk who live here that spend time in the waves and on the sand with their hounds.  They add richly to my life and are JUST as necessary a fix as that morning sunshine and soul food!

This was taken yesterday when she saw Sam arrive on the beach.

They were delighted to see one another and raced through the waves with the ball.

Bubbles that burble and bounce ...

“Focus on the good.”

~ anon.

Focus on the bubbles ... 

I love bubbles! Champagne has bubbles .... they fizzle and crackle and explode in my mouth. They fill it with a kaleidoscope of flavour. Champagne’s YUMMY and I’m inclined to drink it like a fizzy drink ... just like Rum and Ginger Beer ....  and that’s NOT good.  Drinking too many of either of these is NOT good.

AmaZing Reflections!

Stalking the Shag ..... cause the Heron wasn't there.

Happiness has bubbles too ..... they burble and bounce through my life filling it with precious moments and inexplicable joy. When happiness bubbles burst, as they occasionally can, they leave me feeling melancholy and wondering how I can recapture or repair the bubble that’s burst.

Matakana Village Market Square where the Matakana Indie Market is held

Sometimes I can’t.  Sometimes things happen in our lives that defy understanding or logic. If I had a zillion wishes I’d wish away all the sad and the bad that happens to the people I love and put smiles on their faces again. 

I’d wish that they could see the magic I see in them.

But life’s not like that .... 

I was outside next to my friend Jo, of EdeNZ Designs

So I smile and look for the power of the invisible in my life! Yep .... that comes from my friend Megan at Limitless Living. We all have this invisible energy in our lives that connects and influences us all, no matter where in the world we might be.

Part of the decor outside the Matakana Market Kitchen

Stretching the toy mouse!

The hound helps me find that energy. 

Who can feel melancholy when you’re out in the fresh morning air chasing a sunrise that’s already risen.  

Who can feel melancholy when a wet chocolate brown hound shakes the entire contents of the ocean over your legs?  

Who can feel melancholy when said hound is carrying a toy mouse all over the gardens with the tail sticking out of her mouth?

Oh yes .... the tail out of the mouth pic!

The first photo when she leapt up to lick me!

Happiness comes at unexpected times. During our time at the gardens I was trying to get a photo of Gav and I and the hound using the auto-timer. The hound gets so excited though as I try to put myself in the photo, and leaps up and licks me. It doesn’t quite make for the photo I’m wanting. An Asian couple walking past saw our antics and laughingly offered to take the photo for us. We thanked them but declined as we were having so much fun trying to get the photo ourselves!

Yay .... only 2 takes to get a fun shot, windswept and all!

It’s these kind of bubbles of happiness that leave me fit to burst. They re-ignite my soul.  They give me the impetus to keep moving forward.

We've hidden the mouse and are asking her where it is

Happiness is contagious .... it has a ripple effect. Just as the ripples spread outwards when we throw a stone in a pond, so the ripples of happiness are spread too. Happiness triggers a chain reaction that benefits so many people. Happiness just fizzles!

The Joseph Savage Memorial Gardens

“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads.”

~ Albert Camus ... a French journalist and philosopher.

Last night's red skies .... but I couldn't get to the beach on time.

Outside the square at the Matakana Indie market

Matakana Public Toilets

Sunday night's moon

Tonight's moon

The Heron yesterday .... he's checking me out!