Today Shadowfax aka gofer returned home. My dear friend Kerry who loaned this godsend to me came and picked it up today, to take it back to her place and find a new home for it. I got Rob to take this last photo of it because I’ve got very fond of this little steed as it’s transported me around when I couldn’t walk since last July.

Farewell and all the best, little one!

When I sat down at my desk this morning, after we’d seen the family off, I found this – Thea had been showing off her writing skills.

Last night we’d gathered for dinner, Tristan and Blaine, Tom and Thea, Jeanette and Christopher. Tristan has been quite sick, a return of his asthma that he’s had on and off since he was a baby. And we’ve all been worried about him. So to celebrate his move to a healthier life style, and to see him and his lovely little family off to their holiday in Thailand, we had a great noisy meal together, and chatty evening, and a playful breakfast at Zamia this morning followed by time in the playground.

It was one of those times, of which we are blessed with many in our family (I’m thinking of my year just past when they all gathered around me in my illness), when we gather to give extra love to one of our own. As I learn more about how my Dad’s family worked, we have made a fair reproduction of this pattern which Dad enjoyed.

Life is good:-)

Today we have been blessed with many visitors to our garden. The red-tailed and white-tailed black cockatoos have been through and eaten from the flowers in our big trees. The family of butcher birds, which has taken almost 2 years to rebuild after we lost so many birds in the hail storm of March 2010, brought their 2 young’uns to have a feed and drink in our garden. As I sat at my desk I spied one of youngsters alight on the bird bath. It was drinking until a wasp came to drink too. The wasp freaked it, and it watched the insect closely for a little while, then flew off. A “28 parrot”, a rare visitor to the bird bath, came to drink too after the others had left. Yesterday a magpie lark came to drink here. It was going well until one of the resident wattle birds decided that it wasn’t allowed in the bird bath and chased it away!

It’s a hot day here and it’s good to be giving our precious birds food and drink as they need it:-)

Tonight we had the pleasure of babysitting Tom and Thea, while Tris and Blaine had a much-needed “date” night out.

When he wasn’t reading his Zac Power book on a kindle, Tom really enjoyed their bubble bath. Thea found the old farm tractor that they both used to play with when they were smaller – I hadn’t been able to let go that one because it was the toy they both played with the most by far. And it’s still as much fun as it used to be! And she made great creations with her new play dough.

They are delightful children, a credit to Tristan and Blaine. We are very blessed to have them in our lives:-)

This morning, for the last time, I rode my gofer (“Shadowfax”) to the rehab clinic, to Zamia for writing time, and home again. We’ve had fun together, Shadowfax and I. And he has been a most faithful companion through the long months of disability with my knee renewals, keeping my knees safe and they’ve recovered.

When Rob put him away in his stable (see above) for the last time tonight, I silently thanked this steed, and my dear friend Kerry who lent him to me, for the good times we’ve enjoyed.

Today Rob’s X-man and I had similar experiences. His car has been at the smash repairer’s all week, getting some dents repaired. Today he finished work too late to pick it up, so with my trekking poles I walked ALL THE WAY to the smash repairer’s, about 30 minutes’ slow walk, to pick it up.

So when I parked it on the front verge, I felt some kinship with it. We are both well out of hospital now! And Rob will be very happy to have his car back. He really enjoys driving his X-man!

This local bookshop used to be a hive of activity with bookclubs every day of the week, several writing classes a week of which the one where I learned to hone my writing was one, and locals meeting there for coffee and chat as well as browsing and buying books.

But the world has moved on to e-books, and my e-books will soon join them, so sadly this sight will be repeated around the world many times this year.

Here’s to the local bookshops – they have been wonderful gathering places for communities for hundreds of years!

Today, as Elwyn packs up to return to her home in England, I packed up our grandchildren’s toys from when they were small, ready to take to the local kindergarten. Our favourite, because it was Tom’s and then Thea’s favourite for at least 1 year each, remains the farm tractor. Tom used to push it around the house for hours at a time, tooting the tractor horn and pressing the buttons that made farm animal noises.

But now that Tom can read a normal type book of around pages to himself, and Thea can recite from 1 to 10 in Mandarin, it’s time to let these treasures go to a new home where other small people will enjoy them once more.

After Fiona kindly planted some bean seeds in our back garden as part of the green renovation she did in October, we picked our first harvest tonight. They were delicious, briefly pan-fried with small pieces of bacon.

Yum!

Thanks Fiona:-)

Tonight, Rob and Elwyn gave me a great gift. A night on Dusky Dolphin. Last one was over six months ago, as I battled to recover from my tonsillectomy in time for my first knee replacement. That was an age ago. Since then I have been to hell and back again as I battled the slow, mostly silent battle of the knee replacement journey.

Well tonight that journey ended.

And my journey to be the sailor I was always meant to be, but couldn’t because of my bad knees and nasty, nasty unpredictable fevers from my nasty tonsils, has now begun.

Thank you Rob and Elwyn, and Dusky Dolphin of course. You have been the most patient of all:-)