I just sat and listened to the song “White Wine in the Sun”, which he wrote for Christmas 2010.

He is such a powerful writer! He evocatively and sensitively sings of family; ageless family where each family member is safe and loved.

Rob and I envisioned this for our children, their partners and their children in the first few years that we knew each other. And we have worked and worked to make this space happen ever since.

Here’s to Tim’s song, and to Fiona’s special place in Tasmania, “Tunapi”, where this lovely photo of the sun was taken:-)

Tom and Thea started school this week. They were very brave, as was Blaine in seeing them off to Grade 1 (Tom) and Kindy (Thea).

Rob, Jeanette, Christopher and I took Blaine out for morning tea to mark the occasion:-)

What a celebration to happen on Rob’s and my 40th wedding anniversary!

Today I formally introduced Tristan to my Rotary club, and mentioned that he is the 4th generation of my family to be a member! Starting with my grandfather, Bill Brine senior, then my dad, Bill (Roley) Brine Junior, then me, then Tristan. I was soooo proud!!!

Our beautiful children are the greatest of the projects that Rob and I have been privileged to share, so this was a good day for this to happen:-)

We were in Hobart a few days before our official 40th wedding anniversary (28th), so we had a lovely meal out at our favourite Hobart restaurant. We had enjoyed lunch with our friends Pauline and John that day, and guess what arrived at our table just after we got to Mures – a bottle of champagne with this lovely message!

What a special way to begin a very special celebration!

Email to our family:

It’s a strange thing, but something has been nagging at me for some time now. As Dad and I rest here, on a nice boat with nice people, and I have no contact with my mother, there is space to try and hear what this is…

It feels like some space is needed for me. We’ve had some really good times  together as a family this past while, and I’ve really treasured them. I always enjoy your company and I love you all, including Tom and Thea, for being the beautiful, gifted and kind people you are:-)

However now that I have space from Granny, and Dad is getting tireder, I have to focus more on my own work – writing and business building. Certainly some good stuff has come into my mind these past few days which has enabled me to put some good writing time into the Time Leadership book which will be released in February. It’s had a major block for months, but after yet another waking night at Fi’s Tunapi it has crystallised really well. I’ve sent it off today to Jo for initial editing, and am now trying to work out what my weird dreams last night were all about – somehow they relate to the partly written book about Grandy. I’m tackling that once my MacBook is recharged!

Anyway I just wanted to say “Thanks ever so much for the journey so far!” Who know where it’s going next!

Three days later, when I felt ready to return to being fully present for the world again, I could see and feel my role as a writer. I could also see the way forward to earn money to pay the basic bills if I had to, and it didn’t involve much more than I do now! Somehow, giving myself that space, I had given myself permission to work out “Who I am” and “What I’m here to do” at this moment in time:-)

While Elly was in Perth last week, Rob unearthed this delightful photo of her:-)

This morning Elwyn and I spent a hilarious time with Tom and Thea and a program on Elly’s MacBook that takes photos as if in a distorted mirror.

It was FUN!

As is usual when Elwyn visits us from London, we all go to a cricket game together. This time we shared the KFC 20-20 Match at the WACA – lovely at sunset. Elwyn loves cricket more than the rest of us (well, only closely in front of Rob) so it’s a good way to be together. However Christopher and the kiddliwinks are not so fond of watching it – thank heavens for iPhones!

Last week, the last surviving butcher bird from the hail storm last March (we had a family of 4 who have bred in our garden for some years), finally achieved his goal. He has been calling from all the gardens around us to find a mate since September. And now there are 2!

They are so sweet, sitting together in the bushes, on the tables and even the washing line, the little man finding worms and other yummy thing to eat and delicately giving them to his lady with his beak:-)

And this morning, during our early morning walk in Kings Park, there were 3 of our critically endangered red-tailed black cockatoos feeding in a gum tree. Although we loved seeing them, it is another sad sign that they are not only losing their nesting sites to our rapacious need for housing estates, they are also losing trees to feed on!

What a magical world we live in!

These images of the eclipse of the full moon, on the summer solstice (in the southern hemisphere) are quite magical:-)