taking a leap

sometimes thoughts come floating through my mind, not expected but none-the-less they come without an invite..... taking me to places that I never thought I would go... tempting me with adventures, taking me out of my comfortable space....

the thought that has me in a pickle right now is one of moving... moving from Inglewood here in Woodford.. from a home where we have lived for the past 10yrs... weddings, births, deaths and illnesses & much love.. all woven into the magic that is Inglewood.. it seems just like yesterday that Dutch husband and I donned the renovating gloves and worked hard, creating our gorgeous Inglewood

putting heart and soul into it.
But now whispers of change flit through my mind... excitement mixed with trepidation. Fear of taking an unknown step.. what if it is a mistake to move?....I wish I had a crystal ball to look into, one that could show me what decision i will make.. then I would know what to do. I would know the right fork to take at this crossroads

a lovely little home, just ten minutes away has made itself known to us...one that needs love just like Inglewood did when we first stepped over the threshold 10yrs ago.. perfect design, smaller garden with a wonderful backbone ~ my fingers itch to get into it ~ location perfect, close to things we love

~ a home that we could put our mark on in a flash ...
dutch husband is like a little boy waiting for Christmas ~ excited at the prospect of a challenge, promising me that we could make our new home just as gorgeous as Inglewood, but I am still afraid to take that first step ~ I need to take a leap of faith, hold my man's hand and jump!

some sacred moments on my side trip...

day one, wandering around the Victorian country town of Wangaratta ~ avec the camera of course!! old churches seem to abound in large country towns ~ the bigger and more impressive the better it seems.. smaller towns tend to have little weatherboard churches..
across the way from where I was staying was the most amazing sandstone Catholic cathedral
the Anglican church was near the Catholic one and next to it was the Manse, where the anglican minister lived.. it was behind a fence and glimpses tempted my imagination but I was not courageous enough to peek over to see the back garden, all the while wondering about the stories that house could tell. there were vines hanging low over the old carved wooden fretwork which partly hid all manner of things from my view, only adding to the mystery of the old house.
old fences and gates adorn many of the properties.. and I love that I could peek through the fences and catch a glimpse of a home that I could only dream of
and the sacred in that 'ordinary' day?....

the most amazing tree with coral colour flowers.. against the brilliant blue sky..
and of course:

this

a little road trip..

my son Caine and his two boys Thomas & Jack
today dutch husband & I leave to go visit my son.. he has moved to the state of Victoria which is about a 10hr drive for us. Caine, my son, has moved away to heal from the grief of his marriage breakdown.. and I hope and pray with a mother's heart that he will be ok.. I read this comment on Corey's blog & I loved it so much, I had to note it down: "when our children grow up, we need to release them to live their own lives and follow their dreams. Just send them off with lots of love and your blessings"

his boys will stay with their mother, just around the corner from us... and I pray they will be ok.. their dad will be 10hrs away...this situation is not one of our choosing, but it is where life has taken us at the moment.. and we just have to go along with it... like Jonah did in the whale

a simple birthday..

bronze gum tips, sprouting on the burnt trunks of eucalypts ~ revealing a New Year full of promise.. the Sacred in my Ordinary...
yesterday I had a vey simple but beautiful day full of love... breakfast in the little village of Kurrajong, with my eldest daughter & her family..ricotta pancakes with honey and strawberries

and lots of hugs from my gorgeous grandson Harry..(the Sacred in MY Ordinary)

then off to dinner with Dutch husband to a gorgeous little French style cafe~restaurant.. where I can order anything I wish..
salt & pepper school prawns, slow cooked Junee lamb served with a mushroom & barley risotto and creme brulee with poached quince

finished off with a French quince liquer
just dutch husband & I.

not quite the Champs Elysee.. but Leura Mall is quaint.. with its many cafes & artisan shops.. not far from where I live.

and afterwards, a short drive to Echo Point in Katoomba... where I stood and asked for blessings.. for those that I love and most of all for myself...

New Year Revelling

first of all I had to put my New Years eve slippers on to go out and celebrate the coming of this New Year.. something dutch husband & I have done for nearly 20 years, with the same friends.. some may come and go, but there is always the same core of faces each New Years eve

my friend Peter, n Me...he is the head chef & the best friend anyone could wish for... each year with him is a bonus as he is now nearly 77..

a favourite sparkling Australian wine..

which flowed freely..

a sense of fun is always important

and one must always finish the night of with something sweet..

and even amidst the celebrations.. I found time to find the Sacred in MY Ordinary.... Happy 2010 !