.. into the Everglades on Valentines day

'what do you want to do on Valentines?' dutch husband asked..

I had been thinking of a picnic tea [with marinated chicken wings, tossed green salad, french yeasted sourdough and a strawberry heart cake for dessert & some red to wash it down] at Leura Cascades and then a romantic walk along the bush path to one of the most amazing lookouts in the world. [what we lack in the way of old buildings, here in Australia we certainly makeup for with natural wonders ~ Leura Cascades is just one of many here in my little corner of the world.] But it has been raining for nearly 40days and 40 nights, so that idea was out.

instead, he has booked a table for two at The Everglades Gardens. a National trust property, nearby. [the Everglades Historic home & gardens]

[photos & story of our romantic dinner will come tomorrow!]

and the Cheese-makers? they are blessed too

I have just discovered persian fetta...

[window of Leura Gourmet Deli ~ a place where I go to shop, often]
in the mountains we have a lot of little delicatessens ~ mostly family owned and managed... we can buy cheeses from all over the world - creamy french cheeses, blue cheese, sheeps cheese & goats cheese. lavender cheese and cheese rolled in chilli

[I love to browse the shelves. there is Turkish Delight, condiments of all kinds, herbs & spices from exotic places ~ chocolate, biscuits & jams. there are oils & pastas & spiced nuts]
when I was a little girl, delicatessens were shops that you quickly walked past because of fear of the unknown.. 'those foreigners' and their very odd food - strange looking meat sausages hanging by string off metal hooks..odd looking bread which didn't come in a paper wrapper.... and the smells. oh the smells assaulted my little girl nose.... but as it happens, tastes change, views change, and all matures.

[there is a selection of gourmet takeaway. for tourists and locals alike. their Tandoori chicken salad is a favourite of mine..serve it with pappadums and chutney. sit outside on the grass and watch the world go by]
[the cheeses, oh the cheeses make my mouth water]
and as you mature, [just like that cheese you so much love], you start tasting a variety of foods, from exotic, faraway places. places that one can only dream of. hence the persian fetta...

Last night I dreamed that I was asleep in the hand of God.
Today, I bought myself a Paella pan. And shared a Chocolate croissant with dutch husband. tonight a vegetable and barley soup [to soothe the little girl in me] served with organic spelt [did you know that spelt was St Hildegarde of Bingen's chosen grain?]
& tomorrow we celebrate Valentine's day. more about that tomorrow!

one lump or two?

a simple visit to the Dr today, for a prescription and I come out with a breast lump.

[to get my mind off the lump, dutch husband took me to Leura for lunch.. the sign Serendipity caught my eye..]
the Dr casually mentioned doing a quick routine breast exam and then the words hmmmm... have you felt this lump here? well, no i haven't because I do not examine my breasts - [no lectures please]. I put my head in the sand because surely God is not that cruel as to bless me with cancer, twice? [plus I have lumpy breasts so I go to the Drs ever 6mths to check them]

[not having a huge appetite because of the silly worry, i chose to share a cheese platter with dutch husband..some from France, some from Tasmania.. crackers, quince paste & pear]
of course I am in panic, but trying not to be. And of course I know that I am actually quite blessed. I know that I have a wonderful life. I know, I know, I know. I know also that it is most probably not cancer but that does not stop my mind going one hundred miles an hour into the future with 'what ifs'. I feel like crap and I am scared. I know that this too shall pass and all will be well. but I am still scared.

[serendipity ice-cream. Hokey pokey flavour. full fat, none of the light stuff when a girl needs to soothe her shattered nerves]
please God, not again. I have learned my lesson and I promise i will check my breasts every month. every week. if only this one time, it is not cancer. please. and thankyou.

[Leura Deli is one of my favourite lunch-time haunts... and a place where I buy alot of my Christmas time treats. cheeses to die for, freshly squeezed fruit juices. exotic foods from all over the world.]
so now, next week I am off to have the mammogram, ultrasound and if needed a needle biopsy. the angels will be busy listening to my prayers this week!

a lofty goal? perhaps.. but one that stretches the imagination

why do I do this to myself? why do I reach for the stars and try to post everyday?
because in doing that,
I am stretching my imagination.
I am looking more closely at the ordinary things in my day.
I am enjoying each and every moment while I do it.
I listen to conversations more closely....
I notice things that I would usually have skipped past.. like aprons, or words or a simple thing like stirring the coffee...
I search for descriptive words to tell my tale..
and in doing that
I fall in love with my life.
[and to tell the truth, I actually enjoy discovering something to write about each day]

and in my life today? it is my son's birthday! thirty five years ago, I was walking around in pain.. back pain and tummy pain.. thinking it was from all the cake I had eaten the day before. 35yrs ago, still a child myself, I gave birth to a tiny little bundle weighing just 5lbs. no drugs at all. my life was in danger at one stage.. at 17yrs old, i don't know how I did it. but they say, that God never gives you a thing that you cannot handle. Do you think it is a coincidence that he was born on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes? a place where I have wanted to visit for a long, long time.

Happy birthday Caine! this year is yours !

an ordinary day

lunch
buckwheat crackers
avocado
and one cucumber picked just this minute from my garden
cracked pepper and celtic sea salt
summer roses [also from my garden] ~ a whole bunch. perfumed by the angels.

afternoon tea in Springwood, yet another little village in the mountains. this time I had chai latte made on soy.
for dinner. pasta. go out to the garden and see what you can find. beans & basil ready to pick. some garlic hanging in the pantry. leftover ham and an onion. chopped roughly and thrown in some hot olive oil.. put the pasta on to boil as the vegetable mix cooks, drain pasta. put back onto the stove and quickly stir the vegies through. serve with, salt and cracked pepper and a shave of fresh parmesan.

tonight, centering prayer.where I sit. silently, with God.
I tell you. this posting each day is really stretching my story imagination. I am enjoying making stories from my ordinary day. I see more of my day, I notice alot more.. what did you do on your ordinary day?