Tag: leisure

It was cold in the Wheatbelt town of Merredin.  I woke to find I was curled up tight in the womb of my warm bed.  I turned the heater on and leapt back into bed while I listened to the freight train roll by, rattling windows in the cabin, and let my thoughts travel too.

I recently stopped at a small cafe run by a retired couple in a small farming town.  She makes the best sandwiches!  And, her lemon curd tartlets are out of this world!  It was too early in the morning when I got there for me to justify buying baked goods, so I chatted to them while they made me breakfast.  The cafe also has a small shop attached to it.  It would appear the locals put things like jams and embroidered napkins there on consignment. So I wandered around while talking to them.

An old boot caught my eye.  It had a tag attached to it.  “$20 donation for Give Cancer the Boot”.  It turns out someone’s daughter was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  The town has rallied to raise money.  Sprayed bright pink, the old boot belongs to a farmer who brought it in, with flower, to add to the money raising effort.

The boot sits outside my study window.  It reminds me life is fragile, and living in community makes one stronger.  I take time to talk to strangers.  They love to talk about their community, I’ve found.  Like the old boot that no longer dances, but the story of its new life, can still make a heart sing.  So I consciously and mindfully live life closer to the source and Source.The clump of snowdrops at my doorstep has grown, having arrived three weeks later than they did last year.  They seem to have survived another year of my old gardener’s enthusiasm for clearing flower beds and his failing eyesight!.  I looked through dozens of flowers and found myself wanting to see what was under the hood.  Now I know!In the back garden the Cape Gooseberry is fruiting.  I love this fruit and they hardly ever stay long enough on the bush without me picking off the lanterns while still green.  I found this one on the ground, encased in gossamer, the detail, exquisite.I know while bush walking, there are tiny flowers and foliage to search for and delight in.  I also know some folks are intent on the walk itself, and miss what my eyes search for.  I also know that’s their journey, not mine.  So I let them walk by.What I search for in bush country, are the tiny wild orchids that grow in impossible places.  They remind me of a plaque I have in my study “Bloom where God plants you”.This year the orchids are prolific.  I love the detail of these delicate orchids that seem to bloom in harsh conditions, with attitude!  If this is not a diva presence, I’m not sure what is!And who can walk past the beautiful banksia and not stop to marvel at this wonderful plant.  I love the symmetry of the prickly leaves too.There are tassle plants growing everywhere and after uploading the photograph, I can see the details, hidden to the naked eye.  I’ve come to learn through photography, beauty is often sensed and not always seen, until later.These are mallee and gum trees.  The mallee is like a gangly teenager, with out of proportion limbs and leaves.  Or, so I thought.  When I stood under it, I had to ask myself, how did I miss this before?Yes spring is here.  The turnip weed flowers are everywhere alongside roads and highways.  The soft canola, is painted across the landscape in broad strokes of vivid yellow.

This is just a view.  A fleeting view.  Pedestrian, if you like.  Just like life.  Unless one stops long enough to cherish living a full and meaningful one.

So, promise yourself today to take five.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird