May Days

         

                             "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

Emily Bronte     

May has been a lovely month here in the mountains, we have enjoyed some lovely sunny days. I have done a bit of cooking and candle making and I've been knitting as well. I made a little beanie for my grandson. He is now 11 months and it won't be long before he is walking. It's hard to believe that he is nearly one!

“Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness.” 
― George Sand

The last few weeks have been a bit difficult for us, there have been some struggles to go through emotionally and we've needed to be kinder to each other and show each other much compassion. This is the essence of family. We have each other, we give one another a safe place to dwell. We carry each others hearts. We help bind up the broken places of our hearts and cover our loved ones with love.

     My darling man built me a side gate through to our lovely neighbours' yard. He is practicing for when he builds me a front fence.. it will look marvelous! 

   My garden still has some treasures in it to capture my eye. I love all the Autumn hues and there are still a few flowers blooming here and there. I have Jonquils flowering and a few daisies too. Not to mention a few roses struggling on.. The girls are growing and I await eagerly the first eggs!

The trees are looking bare as we head into winter.

We have had many days filled with bright blue skies.

A trip to Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens

On Easter Saturday we headed out on a road trip to The Botanical Gardens at Mount Tomah in the Blue Mountains. It was glorious weather and my darling husband and wee sister and I decided a day out was in order. It took us about 45 mins to drive through the mountains to get there. The sun shone, the scenery was delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Fiona and I even took a little trip on the shuttle bus to have a round trip of the gardens. We dubbed it the 'Senior citizens' tour bus... we being the youngest travelers! 
 The Autumn colours were beautifully on display.

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” 
― Lauren DeStefano, Wither

This Easter I have been full of gratitude for the gifts I've been given. For joy when I have known much sadness. For peace when I have been unsettled. For family when I have known loneliness. For Love and grace and the Knowledge of my Father's presence when I have known periods of loss. 
My heart sings... thank you.... thank you.... thank you....

Beautiful Autumn

It is Easter weekend, the sun is shining , the family is together and there is much to enjoy and be thankful for.
Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the crisp mornings with dew on the grass and lovely light. I adore the colour in the trees and falling leaves. 
We have had an abundance of parrots visiting our garden.
The Camellias are flowering and there are red berries all around. What a wonderful time of year.

I am thankful for the gift of life I've been given, for those I love being nearby. For God's unending love and grace.
I am full of gratefulness and wonder...

a pleasant Saturday drive...

We have had a wet week here. It has kept us indoors a lot. Today we got up and though it was cloudy the sun was trying really hard to peep through the clouds. So we decided it would be a great day for a drive. We headed west on the Great Western Highway towards Blackheath. Our first stop was Evan's Lookout where we took in some magnificent Views of the Grosse Valley.
  When we got to Blackheath itself we crossed the Railway line and headed down to the Megalong Valley where we stopped for a leisurely lunch at the Megalong Tea House. It was delish! Home made Pie and salad. 
It was such a pleasant day, just my darling and I enjoying each other's company and getting away from everyday chores and worries. It was lovely to be in the fresh country air and see the countryside. There were farms and cows and rusty old sheds. I feel refreshed and relaxed and happy to have just stopped and smelled the roses or in this case cow manure!!

 Most of these pictures were taken by my darling who has given me his permission to use them.  

to mend a broken heart...

     My heart has been heavy the last few days. A deep sadness has rested on my heart.
There has been much in the news recently about a family whose 13 year old son was abducted and murdered by a serial violent pedophile. It took the family and police 10 long years to find their missing boy and bring to justice the evil man who perpetrated this shocking crime. My heart aches for this family, for their bravery and their single minded commitment to finding justice for their son. The case is now closed, justice has been served and the monster is now jailed for life. Yet this family will never be the same again. Their precious boy will never come home. Wounded for life. They have used their pain and incredible heartache to start a foundation in Daniel's name, to protect other children from such horror.

  Our family has lived through its own heartache. We have been touched by brokenness and sorrow. Those who prey on children destroy the lives of their victims and their families. It is a difficult road to travel in the aftermath of such evil. As a parent of a child who was preyed upon, there is a pain so deep that overwhelms your heart and mind that you wonder if you will ever recover. To acknowledge  that you were negligent in your duty to protect, to bear the guilt of it even though many kind friends say it wasn't your fault. It has been a difficult journey to take and one I wish that I did not have to travel.
    The nightmare begins for you when the child is old enough and strong enough to share the terrible secret they were made to keep. They have been living their horrible nightmare for much much longer. Your heart breaks over and over again as you watch them struggle through the healing process. It is a long and terrible one. The sadder and angrier they are, the guiltier you feel.   There were days when i felt that I could not bear the pain. My heart hurt as if it was physically broken. I clung to my heavenly Father's love and presence. I rarely asked why had this happened. My questions and recriminations were aimed at myself. Why did I not know these people were evil and not to be trusted? Why did I not notice at the time that things were terribly wrong?  For many long years we dealt with our guilt, our pain and our sorrow.
 Hanging on to hope is all there is...
   But healing does come.. 
     Not quickly
    Not easily
     But one day
You learn how to smile again. You learn that healing and hope and joy are possible once more.
You learn that forgiveness is possible. That you can move forward and onward but you are never ever the same.
You are stronger, wiser and much more compassionate.
You know what really matters in life and what doesn't.
Pain and sorrow does that for you. It teaches you to value the important things in life.
Family. Love. Forgiveness. Peace. Grace. Goodness....

 
    

The most important things in life...

     Today is my birthday. We love to celebrate well in our family, so I have been showered with gifts and well wishes and an abundance of love. My Sister Fiona is visiting and took me out to the magnificent Paragon Cafe in Katoomba, where we had a pleasant morning tea. We got to wander through the lovely old building built in 1916 and decorated in the Art Deco style.
     The sun is shining today, so after a week of rain it was nice to wander in my garden and enjoy the sunshine. 
       I spent a few days in Sydney this week with my daughter Claire and her husband and my little grandson Samuel. This week he learned how to clap! It is amazing how much joy that gave me! 
  I was born in Scotland on the 8th of March 1957. I am 57 years old.Today is a happy day. I am loved and cherished, who could ask for more than that? I am grateful and thankful for this life I have been given.