Three New Things

Margaret's garden - tea tree and bird houses

A week or so ago my mother asked plaintively if she had been dropped off the blog. My dad then explained that isn't how blogs work. Sorry mum, it isn't you, it’s me. Kind people have been emailing me to see if I'm ok. That is so lovely, and thank you. As you can see, I am still here, and my new year began at the end of last year with a string of good things.

Thing One: Yes, the article in the summer edition of Earth Garden with my name at the top. So very excited and happy to see this. The beginning, and gods willing, not the end, of the rest of a lifetime of writing things to send out into the world. And certainly not the end of sending words out into the world via All the Blue Day. Still so much to say :)

Thing Two: My first gardening job! This is me in my mushroom hat, which I have since mislaid, much to the relief of my children. I am in the beautiful garden of my friend Katherine, where I spent some pleasant and productive hours. Today I spent more hours in Margaret’s garden, which is one of my favourite gardens ever. I feel so lucky to have be working in such lovely surroundings with such good people.

Thing Three: There is.. a man. This was not part of my plan. I have so many plans, and none of them involved a man. All of them involved me being a woman alone. I was so content and happy to live my life on my own terms, make my own plans, think my own thoughts. But what happened? The universe brought me a man. I had no sooner set eyes on him, than I knew. Here he was. That one I hadn't been looking for. He lives in a wee cabin on a mountain where he thinks his thoughts and makes his things and hand-feeds bananas to skinks. And now I have two lives. My normal daily life in a cottage in the city with all the children (so many children right now. All of mine, and then some). And a second, secret life in a cabin on the mountain with the birds, the echidnas, the banana-loving skinks, and that man I accidentally fell in love with..