Monday Coffee: Home

I have reached home.
Today I took the steps leading me to the future, the place I want to be. I sit here revelling in the feeling of achievement I so rarely get to enjoy and…I am in awe.

Sometimes wishing is not enough. Sometimes, settling only gets you so far. But I have to ask myself why, on this journey here, did I question the fundamental right of anyone to pursue more than what their goal is? I ridiculed the idea that pushing further would reap rewards of happiness and success equally. I postured the idealism that greed is the main source of pursuit, leading down a slippery slope to materialism and superficial lifestyles. I know it is. 

But here I sit. The hunger is dated. I have reached the point where I want to be and that gurgling murmur of delight escaping my lips is not one of greed or want; it’s the sound of knowing that taking the risk to reach my happiness was not complete madness.

My happy place: a wet log covered by a doggy sack to keep my posterior dry whilst I type this drivel. 

My view – exquisite! A soft clearing half way up a hill overlooking the valley of wild grass and heather below. The sound of crunching leaves behind me as Henry pursues the heady scents of foxes and birds in his happy state. I can’t say everything here is perfect. As I crossed the gulley surrounded by gorse bushes, I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it. But I did. And once in the clearing under the tall redwoods, my celebrations were greeted by a dead bird lying on the damp grass. Not to be dissuaded, I moved further away after praying for its little soul. Yes, if we have souls, so do the beasts that co-habit this earth. There, I found my log, riddled with woodworm and all things unpleasant. This is where I sit, content. 

Sometimes, pushing for those dreams is definitely worth it.

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Australian Flora and Fauna

Here are a few snaps of the plants found around gardens and places of interest so far.

A Walk in the Park

Hello!  The garden is buzzing with busy bees but the park has a few beauties to share.  Walk with me…

Now if I’m not mistaken, this is Thistle.  I’ve always loved books about fairies and my favourite flower where the fairies hide would always be the Thistle.

Hidden in the shrubbery are these gorgeous open Roses.  Their bright pink faces dart into view whenever the wind sends shivers down the branches filled with greenery.
Pretty purple plants litter the side of the path as we walk Henry along the edge of the green.

Baby’s Breath blows gently in the wind, it’s delicate little flowers shimmering as each stalk bends and sways in a happy trance.

The promise of summer: raspberries starting to blush in thorny hedgerows hiding birds’ nests.
This prickly plant looks as if it’s related to the Zimbabwean BlackJack.  The tiny heads are barely noticeable among the grass and shrubs, but on closer inspection, they are just as gorgeous as any flower.
Wavering with the bodies of barley, grassy heads bob to and fro as the dance with delight to the invisible beat of breezy base drums.
I hope you enjoyed our walk together. Next week I hope my geraniums will have flowered so that I can share their pretty faces with you.

Have a lovely afternoon.

Something old, something new

Since moving into our new temporary home, I’ve noticed some beautiful flowers parading through the summer season and felt the need to share them with you.  I have no idea what half the flowers’ names are, but hope you’ll enjoy looking at them as much as I do!

Now this flower is part of a creeper that has attacked most of the plants in the garden.  It’s found its way around trees, over walls and through fences.  I’m tempted to nickname it Terminator!

It may be a weed, it may just be that it’s enthusiasm makes it spread its beautiful foliage across the hostas and bulbs, but this pretty flower has brightened the garden and shown off its bright pinks through rain and sun. 

I’ve decided to include the crazy mushroom circles I found in the open field across from the house.  I’m guessing a fairy ring is to blame for this phenomenon, though sadly, I haven’t seen a fairy yet.

My lavender pots are trying very hard to brighten the dull door to our home!  I’m convincing the Hubble that we need more pots to help brighten the entranceway. I think you’ll see a few more additions in the next few weeks. 
Well, those are the only pics I’ve taken so far.  Join me again for another tour of my new garden.

Bye for now!

Zimbabwe Holiday

Hi everyone.  Sorry, no Book Tuesday today as we have just arrived and are settling in.

  The trip was very long.  We started out yesterday and only arrived this evening to a place that is only eight hours away on a direct flight (which are not permitted anymore). I had fun explaining to the children that we were time travellers: we travelled forward in time to Dubai and then back in time to Zimbabwe. We are now one hour ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).   

From the warm spring weather in the UK, with beautiful cherry blossoms coming into bloom and soft rainfall to the raging heat of Dubai, dry and unforgiving with a temperature of 27degrees Celcius when we arrived at seven in the morning! 

   

  Each destination offered a different flavour of people and culture which opened the children’s eyes to the vast range of species of human. The chaos of the airports was a perfect spot for people watching and this kept us amused during the stopovers.  I loved the variety of hairstyles; some downright extraordinary and others as disheveled as mine!  An old man caught my eye as he sat patiently waiting next to his wife, playing the eukalali of all things.  No-one batted an eyelid.

Zimbabwe greeted us with a spectacular sunset and lovely heat.  We were very happy to see the end of our journey and dread the return trip.  I hate taking off my boots at the security checks and will have to re-think my wardrobe for the return journey.

The children were in awe at the size of the place and the crazy driving with no road markings on some roads.  Emergency Taxi drivers shot out of the sidelanes like bats out of hell and we had forgotten how pedestrians walked on the roadside, through traffic- in fact anywhere they pleased!  

Tomorrow I will take some photos to show you this vast, beautiful country.

Until then, nightly bye!

Photo Friday

Thanks for the inspiration to do another Photo Friday Neems!  Please click on her name and check out her site.  It brought a smile to my face on a dreary Friday afternoon.

Spyro

Meet one of the boys. He’s black and white, not so soft and definitely doesn’t encourage cuddles unless it is on his terms. It’s Spyro, our talking teddy bear cat!

Always moaning, chatting or muttering something unintelligible, Spyro doesn’t hesitate to make his presence known. He is the most talkative cat I know. He has a quirky way of sitting with his paws crossed and a very serious face when he sulks.

Spyro loves a cuddly place to sleep and once comfortable, the talking stops and the dribbly snoring begins!

Quite the bully, he doesn’t like it if his brothers get the attention and makes sure to push his way onto my lap so that poor Kiki gets a paw in his ribs and moves off. Spyro happily settles down for a rub, satisfied he got his own way.

Photo Friday

Bringing a little Autumn gladness.

My grapes are slowly turning a gorgeous purple. I feel I should water them more, but they seem content enough in the late September sun.

And of course, the unwelcome but necessary residents that have grown larger than life!

Hope you enjoy your Friday too. xx

Walk With Me

One of my favourite things to do is to take walks with a friend of mine and her dog Marley. We choose various routes that make the walk interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. Here are a few pics I have snapped during my walks. One day I will have my own four legged friend to walk (that’s not a cat!), but until then I borrow the gorgeous Marley who is the best looking dog I know!

Let’s take a walk together…

I have to start our walk at my sister-in-law’s front garden. I love the slate stones mixed with various flowers, soft greys with vibrant reds.

This multi-coloured bark was off a fallen tree in the Swinley forest. I couldn’t resist taking a close up to try and capture the way the bark flakes off in warm reds and browns. It was a huge tree too. Sorry I don’t know what type it was. Hopefully someone will know and tell us.

This mossy patch was next to the stony path along the Swinley forest, hidden in a ditch with trickling water. Can you spot the little faces in the green spongy surface? I see a little face with a mouth in the shape of an ‘o’!

For my last pic I felt compelled to include a snowy pic as I love the snow. This is the forest covered on one of those rare days we all enjoy when the snow is deep enough to slide on and trudge through…yes trudge! (Usually we only get a light dusting!). The softness and white clarity against the surrounding darkness of the trees was serene. The silence that enveloped us as we stood at the top of this slope was a perfect accompaniment to the beautiful imagery before us.

Hope you enjoyed going on a walk with me. Let’s do it again next week!

My Garden

Cherries and pears, fennel and mint; these are a few of my little treasures packed into the borders of my little plot of heaven.

Peeking above Begonia with a French flair, Lavender stands to attention letting us know she is there.

Not to be outdone, Begonia sparkles in the sun, showing off her pink satin petals shimmering in their finery.

All is not lost as the fern guards the back gate. New foundlings unfurl with lazy precision, ready to stretch out and greet the world.

Heavily burdened with the weight of the grapes, my archway is serving out its last year as the support to the vino.

Delicious raspberries dance in the breeze in long stemmed prickly branches.

And finally, sweetening the air, my roses burst with pride as they display colours of pink, peach, yellow and white.

Hope you enjoyed walking through my garden with me.