Travelling Home

After a long and somewhat tedious flight which did not engender much sleep, I arrived in Dubai, met the group and travelled to Amman, met our guide and transport and headed off into the desert of Jordan. What a different world this is! Yesterday we travelled through Madaba to reach our destination – Petra. This place is truly amazing. Words just do not describe the place, so I’ll need to reflect a bit more before I attempt to interpret the experience. So for now I’ll stick to the purely tourist highlights – the ride on the donkey, and the ride on the horse – which was free, but a hefty tip was expected (and asked for!)
We gathered before dinner to reflect on our experience and insights. This will be a spectacular trip – but an exhausting one if today was anything to go by!

Spring is really in the air here in Brisbane. It is crisp in the mornings and warm during the day. It promises to be a long, hot summer. I’m not keen on summer, but it does mean time spent in the garden over winter will show signs of progress. I’ve seeded the grass in the hope that the patches where the weeds once were will sprout new shoots. I’ve been edging the garden and putting in some decorative features, and look forward to lazy afternoons enjoying a wine to refresh the spirits after a day’s work.

Work has been going well, and I continue to feel inspired by the story of Catherine McAuley and other sisters who worked for the poor and disadvantaged. I am constantly reminded of their generosity and hospitality, and hope to build that into my own lifestyle.

Today is my daughter’s 34th birthday. I am, like many women my age, amazed by how quickly time passes. Our lives seem but a heartbeat in the expanse of the timeless universe. My two daughters are beautiful and I am blessed with beautiful grandchildren.

I continue to renew my ideas about life, love and family as I grow older, hoping to become wiser in the process. My friends continue to support me on this journey!

Well, things are still going well in the garden and on the piano! I’ve maintained my resolve to both, and have signs of progress. The garden is established and I’m ready to develop the next stage in preparation for Spring in a little over a months time. And the piano is coming along as well, though I must admit to not enjoying ‘scales’. It’s a bit like ’50 First Dates’…my fingers seem to forget where they are! It’s like everytime I begin I’m having to learn over again!

For some years now I have been suffering from leaking cerebro spinal fluid, which has had a terrible impact on my lifestyle. I have dreadful headaches and have not been able to do many of the things I love to do. Lately though, I have seen a marked improvement, so I’m hopeful that I’m on the mend, even though my latest MRI says that the leak is still present.

My quest for a more peaceful, productive life continues!

I have set myself two projects this year – things that will continue to nourish my body, mind and soul – to learn to play the piano and construct a garden! Both of these are things I have always wanted to do but somehow life got in the way – children, no money, work! I turned 60 last month and decided that now was the time for both projects. So I bought a piano for my birthday, and asked my family and friends if they wished to give me a plant that would have a special place in the garden…and they did, so now I have some plants to start and the willing assistance of my husband to do the heavy work. We have begun by preparing the soil, scoping the work and planting the starter plants. Easter weekend – certainly a time for renewal and new life – we began work on a retaining block wall, and it will be finished this weekend I hope. That will give our garden some ‘bones’. Over the next few weeks I’ll post some photos of the garden as it emerges. As we are moving into winter I don’t expect to see much new growth, but if we can get the basics in place during the cooler months, spring should be fantastic!

Many thanks to those who have encouraged, inspired and gifted me with plants and wisdom over these past few months. I hope that the garden might be a part of my continuing journey of growth.