Obaitori

rain and a little sunshine

Ah, blissful rain, falling gently from the clouds... most of the weekend.

We drank chai, ate chocolate and zucchini cake.

I enjoyed a sleep in on Sunday with a late breakfast - still in bed - eggs on rye.

Watched Downton Abbey and Lion King.

Said happy birthday to a very joyful three year old who asked for a yellow party.

Read this on a friend's fridge -

"Integrity asks not what others think of you ... but what you think of yourself."

Spent not enough time on embelishing my little boy's quilt - I wish I could have sat for hours on end ...

Reading Posie Gets Cozy and dreaming of a corgi puppy for Indira's birthday in July.

Smothering Yogi with love and wondering if he could love a corgi?

Pouring over David Austin Roses catalogue for Australia.

Drank my sister's Lemincello and wondered about making my own when the sun highlighted these ...

I thought I might become a little intimidated by all the new mothers I met this morning when I dropped my little girl at school today on her first day. I remembered the above quote. I sighed relief, it helped me to think ... yes, I like me.

Make a beautiful day. I'm joining with the real, honest, beautiful Amanda today for weekending. Read her heartfilled post i am, here.

Also, a reminder for the Obaitori giveaway, The Call of Sedona; Journey of the Heart.

 

{this moment}

 

A Friday ritual;   - a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

 

Inspired by Soule Mama.

 

{this moment}

 

A Friday ritual;   - a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

Inspired by Soule Mama.

Wishing you a beautiful, peaceful day. May you dream of magic and mystery, angels, artists, muses and bees, fairies and love.

being

 

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

~ Gautama Buddha ~

 

ॐ this moment ॐ

Inspired by Soule Mama.

 

A Friday ritual;   - a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

 

care for all things

See the world as yourself.

Have faith in the way things are.

Love the world as your self;

Then you care for all things.

Lao-Tzu

 

 

 

the lotus seed ~ the seed of hope

“Hope,” Beethoven cried, “you forge the heart into steel.” Hope is confidence. Hope is determination. Hope is courage. And faith is the ultimate expression of hope. Belief fortifies the heart. ~ Daisaku Ikeda ~

 

The dream of owning my own piece of land was put on the back burner for so many years that I had forgotten all of the ideas that accompanied it. This week they have been resurfacing from my sub-conscious. Ideas like a permanent garden that I can lovingly tend to and not have to leave before harvest time with a gardening journal that I can actually use to create meaning season after season. I've collected many gardening books and magazines in the past and this week I've been reading them. My all time favourite is the Australian self-suffiency magazine Grassroots. I've collected this library of wealth for over a decade now. I'm dusting them off and like my sub-conscious, ideas are flooding forth.

In a day-dream I remembered my great grandmother's garden - a labrinth for children - I've written about that garden and it's influence over me as a child somewhere here before - in it she hung a massive wicker chair. It used to hug me as I sat snug in it's egg shaped comfort. Her garden had a willow tree, our new garden does too. I want to create a beautiful and magical space for my children in their garden. A place they can play, explore, get lost within their imagination, find themselves again, transform, learn, love, get muddy. I look forward to this dreams unfoldment but it will be a little while until we physically get there. Someone once told me that it is a good idea to sit and watch the four seasons first to see what comes and goes in a garden before any large plans are put in place. So in the meantime I'll just keep dreaming and wait patiently like a lotus seed deep in the muddy swamp.

 

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama.

 

A Friday ritual;   - a single photo today - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. Moments I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

warming up to summer

It always suprises me to look back on a Monday and see what we have done over the weekend. As much as I try to slow down, book less activities into the schedule, well apparently, it doesn't seem to be working.

I attended a Buddhist forum on depression - which was quite enlightening. There were three music performers and not a dry eye in the house. The theory on this type of Buddhism that I study, by Nichiren Dashonin, is that depression is a normal part of human life and it can be the catalyst for creating a positive change in someone's life.  More information here, here and at the Black Dog Institute.

Last weekend our beautiful brother Heath opened his new shop with his angelic and very creative partner Kara. We attended, played some drums, borrowed some books from their community library, had a cup of tea and congratulated the two sweet loves on their incredible lives. May God bless The Circle of Life.

Yesterday we walked, a long way and in the sun from Spoon Bay to Wamberal Beach. It was so beautiful. We had suncream on but it was not enough. We didn't have to walk back as Daz drove around and picked us up at the surf club. It was beautiful, magestic, salty and wild along that coast. We found crabs, cuttle fish, saw loads of star fish, swam, whinged a little - cause it wouldn't be quite the same if someone didn't, grin - and enjoyed a cold shower at home.

This morning I woke and it was the first time I could feel the heat and the season of Christmas coming!

I hope you had a good weekend. What did you do? If you feel like it, join us over at Habit of Being with Amanda for Weekending.

 

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama.

 

A Friday ritual;   - a single photo today - a few words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. Moments I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 

Indira after the homemade slip and slide in the backyard. Shivering, cold as a frog, worn out but extremely happy. She was soon comforted with a cuddle, a lavender bath, soft pyjamas, and a warm drink. When asked if she wanted to do it again, she exclaimed, "Yes! Now?"