It's perfectly ok to NOT be ok.

Churchill Park on a cloud filld morning!

 "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." 

~ Pablo Picasso

Parnell Rose Gardens

It’s perfectly ok to NOT be ok all of the time.

Bumping into my doctor this last week reinforced that sentiment.

She understands my struggle at this time of year.

I find Christmas difficult.

I find it lonely, despite oft being surrounded by a myriad of people

Memories of happier years past sneak out of my eyes.  

They trickle down my cheeks.

Obscure my vision.

Make it difficult to speak.

If only ....

Point England Reserve

As Christmas jingles fill the air and fairly lights twinkle from every direction, 

it’s hard not to feel that Christmas has been hijacked by unbridled consumerism. 

If only he'd had his tail feathers spread

 Everyone’s buying for Christmas, 

no matter their faith, culture or ethnicity.  

Helping me eat breakfast

I’m not alone in struggling during this so-called SILLY season.

Many of the folk I’ve conversed with this past week feel the same.

It’s a more than emotional time of the year.

Adventures into the country always yeild interesting finds.
This little foal and mom were galloping around the paddock so I just HAD to stop and take a photo.

SILLY season for a reason.

A "Lily" pond

As I juggle shifts at the shop with markets and fairs.  

I’m grateful for the distraction that a full schedule brings.

Rambles have been a tad haphazard and rushed.

Not that the hound minds.

She more than makes up for any tardiness on my part with her enthusiasm for ANY adventure, no matter how short or infrequent.

And of course, she has her paddling pool

.... and balls in all shapes, colours and sizes

If you don't take your eyes off the ball ....

you can CATCH it!

I can do no wrong in her eyes

and I love that.

There are moments during our rambles when my heart skips a beat.

When time stands still.

When just for a second, this world in all it’s imperfection, is perfectly perfect.

Christmas and all.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, 

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? 

It came without ribbons. 

It came without tags. 

It came without packages, boxes or bags. 

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. 

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. 

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. 

What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

~ Dr. Seus

Merry Christmas one and all

Memories .... vivid ones.

The hound and her co-hort .... double trouble!

Memories.  Sometimes they’re so vivid you can feel the moment happening in your mind.

The oldest lemming and the ‘noise’ have bought another vehicle.  It happens to be a Mercedes, an old one but still a Mercedes ... a 300E.

Looking out from Amanda's garden

The reason for the emphasis on the make of vehicle is that the oldest lemming, in his later teenage years, abhored anything to do with Mercedes.  I have a clear recollection of the look on his face when, on a weeks holiday in Cape Town, we collected a rental vehicle from the airport.  Much to the oldest lemming’s dismay our vehicle had been upgraded.... to a Mercedes.  The look on his face was priceless.

What made matters worse is that someone, knowingly or unknowingly, had set the speed limiter to 30k/hr and said Mercedes wouldn’t accelerate past 30k/hr.  It was like driving with the brakes on.

After a few frustrating moments on the road and snide remarks from the peanut gallery, the speed limiter was deactivated and the vehicle able to function correctly.

Oldest lemming admits now that it had been a very comfortable ride but there’s no way he would have admitted that out loud at the time.

Table decor ... gorgeous.

How the tables have turned.

The two of them now own a Mercedes .... what we have termed the “Ma en Pa” car ... just because we can.  

It’s large and very comfortable and has tremendous acceleration, something which appeals to the speed demon in the both of them.

Delicious decadent birthday cake!

... which they wanted to share in!

Here’s hoping the speed demons DON’T collect any fines.

It’s been another weekend of busy-ness!  

Markets to set up at, rugby matches to watch ... and yes, my Bokke won theirs ... birthday parties to attend and sunset rambles to be had.  

Our sunset ramble took us down to the beach around 5.30pm this evening.  Three adventurous teens had found themselves trapped by the incoming tide on the cliffs between Ladies Bay and our beach. We weren’t the only ones concerned at their plight.

The three teens who got trapped by the incoming tide

Some kind soul had alerted the coast guard and they’d sent a crew across to ensure the youngsters were ok.  Two kayakers had also paddled across to the cliff-face to ascertain the seriousness or not of the youngsters’ predicament.

The kayakers checking that they're ok

It’s not that the waters very deep there ... it isn't.

I think they were rueing their foolishness and waiting till dark to return to the beach.  One abandoned all dignity, jumped into the waves and waded to shore where he promptly hid behind a tree.  The other 2 were still trying to scramble along the cliff without getting their feet wet.  We didn’t stay to witness their eventual plop into the waves.

“Sometimes all you can do is not think, not wonder, not imagine, not obsess. Just breathe and have faith that everything will work out for the best.” 

~ anon.

Anyone would think she OWNS this beach.

“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get 

- only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.” 

~ Katherine Hepburn

Walking in the waves with my hound does MORE than just feed my soul.

Not quite as clear as yesterday morning.

Yesterday morning for instance

 .... I was stalking a kingfisher.  It's low tide. 

 The light’s gorgeous.  

The hound's lying on the beach guarding her ball, watching as I tip-toe through the mud.  It’s hard to be stealthy when the mud is as sticky as glue. Unexpectedly my foot disappears to the knee .... in mud!  Foot makes that slurping squelching noise as I pull it out.  

Hound barks because the noise sounds so funny .... and kingfisher flies away!! 

I'm left with a leg completely covered in mud .... NO photo .... AND the giggles!

It's so dark when I leave the house that the moon is CLEARLY visible!

Giggling too much when you’re stuck in the mud ISN’T a good look.

The hound of course thinks I’ve completely lost it.  She could be right.  She’s the one usually wet and covered in mud, not me.   She doesn’t understand WHY I won’t let her join me.  It’s difficult enough though convincing the Kingfisher that I’m NOT dangerous let alone convincing it that the hound isn’t either.

Fortunately there are enough distractions on the beach to keep her occupied.  Unsuspecting hounds are treated to the sight of her galloping full-tilt at them.  Just as they think they should beat a hasty retreat, she screeches to a halt spraying sand intimidatingly in their face. 

 It’s quite impressive.  

Suitably satisfied with the result she’s achieved, she saunters back to wherever she’s left her ball or log.  

Anyone would think she OWNS this beach.

Fast forward to this morning.  We’re BACK on the beach, same scenario as yesterday only today there are TWO of these gorgeous little birds .... but far LESS light.  Let’s not pretend though that it was any easier just because there were two of them. They flit from rock to rock leading me in a merry chase up and down the sand.

The only time they were within camera reach of each other.

The difficulty I’ve had in photographing these elusive little birds makes me so appreciate the awesome shot I managed to capture at the start of June.  That morning was perfect  ... great light, no wind and few souls on the beach.  Even the hound seemed to understand the need for silence.

One day I’ll improve on even THAT shot ... but not today.

Mornings like this are invaluable for restoring some semblance of sanity to a mixed-up world. It’s been a week tinged with sadness as one of our favourite girls at the Co-op has had her life touched with grief in the loss of her brother.  Sadness in the lives of one’s friends and acquaintances touches us all and our hearts ache for the pain she’s feeling. 

Yep .... that's one of the kingfishers sitting there on the rock .... and that's the mud I wade through

Life IS short.  Sometimes you’ll never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.  Love those moments and treasure the people you share them with.

“Tears are words that need to be written.” 

~ Paulo Coelho  

Manuka