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"She seemed to come suddenly upon happiness as if she had surprised a butterfly in the Winter woods"
(edith wharton)


Friday 29 February 2008

My shangri-la beneath the summer moon. . .

Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been
To sit with elders of the gentle race, this world has seldom seen
They talk of days for which they sit and wait and all will be revealed

My shangri-la beneath the summer moon, I will return again
Let me take you there. ......
Led Zeppelin

Kashmir.... the name I have chosen for our little caravan by the sea....it isn't much, but it's ours.. and I am itching to get hold of the key so I can put my mark upon her....
I wanted an exotic name.. images of Marrakesh, Morocco, vibrant Indian markets, bohemia, all floated through my minds eye... and although not a huge fan of Led Zeppelin.. i think the words of their song above, really suit what I am wanting in our little haven by the sea... I did think of Bohemian Rhapsody.. but there are too many letters for me to attempt to paint! I thought of calling it Avalon... or AnamCara.. Joe said 'Magick' but Kashmir it is at the moment.... unless I find something else.
although to be truthful, I am not a camper.. I have never liked to rough it, I don't like outside toilets, I hate sharing showers... I have always insisted on luxury... no-less than 4 stars.. bed & breakfasts where I am treated like royalty....(hanging head in shame)..I always thought i was a princess and wanted to be treated like one.... but Joe has always wanted a caravan and we started looking.. just for fun really.

Over the weekend, I was reading Women who run with the Wolves and I put alot of my thoughts down in my journal.. thoughts which make no sense at all now... something about life being too safe... and I wrote: 'what about a caravan? - this would put me out of my comfort zone.. a caravan will make me spread my wings and fly.. it will help me let go of 'my too-safe mother'.... and I will have the opportunity to go there by myself.. to help me overcome my fear of being alone.. to be able to lie under the stars...'
and now I am over the moon with excitement!
my 'worrier' mother didn't have alot of positive things to say... her first words to me were:'oh there will be mozzies and you will be bitten to pieces'......*sigh* but those words slipped off my back.. like a duck...
I have so many ideas... lots of lanterns.. just like a gypsy caravan!

here are a few photos that we took...


this is the annexe to the caravan, quite spacious.. this will be where we eat and relax... below is the caravan.. that is where our beds are.. and a small kitchen.

the caravan park has its own jetty..

here is Joe, just after we paid the deposit and signed the papers... the water is so blue and I cannot wait to sit on the grassed area, looking out and maybe doing meditation, yoga or journalling. Who knows, I may even write poetry or sketch...

and Mister Pelican..... maybe he will become my animal totem by the sea...

the romantic notion that I have of sitting out under the stars... by the water.... yes, quite excited I am.. and Joe is absolutely beside himself!

yesterday, I washed all my timber floors... in the old fashion way:- on my hand and knees... I made up a big bucket of hot, hot water, liquid organic soap, lavender oil and a dash or apple cider vinegar, donned the rubber gloves and scrubbed... and after they were done, I had a real soul satisfaction.... the rooms smelled really clean and fresh, I had a physical workout while doing it and my floors looked cleaner than if i had used a mop... good old elbow grease !!!!

19 comments:

Kim Campbell said...

How cool is that! We don't have anything like that in the States to put your trailer (as we call them) up to.

Frank and I are going to have to start saving up our pennies to come visit you!

Kathryn Knoll said...

I love this post! It has the feel of a bit of exuberance and daring to it. It sounds like an exciting adventure, for sure. And see, it gave you energy to scrub the floors, too. Here on the North West Pacific Coast of the U.S. many people dream of having a place they and own so they can come to the ocean and renew themselves. Sadly, man of these homes sit empty most of the time once they acquire them. Having a small place to spend time and really get a new perspective but not have to put in a lot of work keeping it up sounds like a great idea. Will you do fishing while there? Star gazing is a wonderful way to connect with yourself and All That Is. I send blessings across the waves to this new chapter in your book! Love, Sr. K

amelia said...

This is so exciting!! I'm excited for you and you must be over the moon!!

What a wonderful place to be and I'm sure you'll be comfortable, maybe not like a 5 star but close!!

I would love to be you in your caravan, it's really lovely...

Pearl said...

The water in Australia is unbelievably blue, I love it.
How fortunate you are to have a place where you can be by yourself, journal, read, think, do yoga, meditate whatever. It sounds like perfect bliss.
Pearl

Anonymous said...

Oh I think you are going to love it there. Wish we could get our houseboat fixed up and in the water somewhere. But it just seems to be getting farther and farther from happening.

laoi gaul~williams said...

oh Robyn thats fantastic!
and camping doesnt mean roughing it either!
with pippin we have a bit of luxury and a bit of roughing it and it works out so well. we have it all arranged so that everything has its own special place so when we park up for any length of time it doesnt get cluttered. and there is nothing better than to sit outside with our old parafin lamp glowing and look at the skies and watch the bats :)

you will both have such wonderful times together there!

xoxoxoxo

Leanne said...

I am really pleased for yuo Robyn, I hope you find peace there, we all need a retreat where our souls can be still for a while.
Leanne x

Suzie Ridler said...

I think that's a great compromise Robyn, it definitely is still roughing it if you're washing the floors on your hands and knees but you also have some comforts. I don't like roughing it too much either, I have a hard enough time sleeping in my own bed.

Enjoy this adventure you wild woman!

Anonymous said...

good morning miss *R, i've seen your footprints around the bloghood and thought i'd finally say hello!

what a wonderful enclave of R & R for you both ~ and the water view is breathtaking! in my mind i see hanging plants, and painted caravan (can you paint it??), something in purple tones...i dunno, but by your words i can just see another place in time created here...i look foward to seeing more photos as your kashmir unfolds...

peace,
Lillithmother (Lil)
www.changingwoman.wordpress.com

gma said...

Robyn...Wishing you pure bliss as you spend evenings under the stars.
Ahhhhh!How perfect to have that lovely get away!

Many seekers scrub the floors of the temples for purification and renewal.

Julie said...

So many things I want to say here! Last things first: My wooden floors need a good hand scrubbing too. But my dogs bring in so much mud in the spring (it's already started) that all my good efforts would be for naught and my hands would scream in pain just like they did when I did too much cleaning at Christmas. I'm thinking of hiring Merry Maids just to do my floors.

A caravan is so much better word than trailer which is what yours would be called in the U.S. I love the name and the idea of a gypsy caravan. I can see those lanterns already. But not a fan of Led Zeppelin? Wot's da matter wit' you?

The water is indeed so blue. How lovely. I can picture you sitting there, totally centered and at peace.

I'm not a camper either. Dan is a camper extraordinaire, but I always wanted to stay at "the lodge" or in cabin at least. Sometimes I convinced him of it but usually not. I hate waking up in a hot, stuffy tent or being in one in the rain. Yuck!

Laurie said...

I am sure this will be fun for you and Joe ~ I love the name you have chosen.
I must admit this reminds me of our 31 foot rv, and after living in one for over two years, I never want to live in anything that small again!!
Sending hugs!!

Gill said...

What a lovely groovy caravan!
I just know you will charge it up with all the right stones!!!
Let's see pictures when it's done!!!!
xo

Sheila said...

I spent many summer vacations in a caravan when I was a child. I loved it.I know you will too. I can imagine it all decorated 'a la Robyn', it will be the envy of the park..!
Blue is right, we want piccies when you start fixing it up the way you want it..!
hugs
xx

Tracy said...

How exciting! The water is so blue!! I think it's wonderful. :)

A bird in the hand said...

Your little home by the sea is perfect. I think we all want to be there with you... xox

linda may said...

How lovely. I alway liked the idea of a caravan and we bought a small Second hand mobile one a few years ago. We haven't got to use it much yet but we have intentions. Yours looks to be in a great spot. Maybe a canoe for that little jetty. Have you tried just floating midstream in a canoe it's very relaxing, a good place to meditate. Don't forget the sunscreen. I don't like camping in a tent, but a van is definitely a step up from a tent. I am a princess too, especially when it comes to my bed and proper washing fascilities. The first thing I did when i got our van was buy it a good mattress. Now it is o.k. for me.

Moonroot said...

Oh, it looks like a lovely spot! And what fun you'll have making it into a home from home. I'm quite green with envy!

Fire Byrd said...

oh a place to dream awhile and sit and stare, to watch the ripples on the water and let the peace work on your soul..... what absolute heaven. Lucky you.
hugs
pxx