Lavender's Blue Dilly Dilly

                                             I have this lavender growing in my garden.

I would love to have a self sufficient garden with chickens, an orchard and a big vegetable garden. I currently have a mini orchard and a vege patch and live on a busy road.

My complete self sufficient dream includes solar energy, passive heating, rain water collection tanks and living off the grid. Oh yes and a loving partner and a work from home income.

Three months ago I wrote down my goals for the next 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months. So far most of my 3 month goals have eventuated. That is remarkable in itself. My usual track record is never so productive. I look at my 6 month goals now and feel furtive hope that they may be more than pipe dreams.

It is more than just myself experiencing this phenomena, apparently at this time in the evolution of man many people are finding that their dreams are quicker to manifest then previously.

Would you agree? Have any of your goals been easier to achieve then expected recently?

Meanwhile tomorrow I have the third interview for a position I have been throwing my hat at for the last 4 months.

                                         My adorable puppy

My first attempt at uploading photos

                                          Sunset at Piha, West Coast, Auckland, New Zealand

This is a beautiful part of the world. The air is vibrant and full of ozone; the tides are wild and treacherous. I love to swim here, although many drownings occur each year. It is mainly fishermen fishing off the rocks and migrants unused to the tidal rips who find that their luck has run out.

For the rest of us it is a special place to visit. Much of the land is historically Maori tribal land and some of it retains special spiritual and healing qualities, making it an ideal place for a retreat. I feel very close to the source of a greater power than myself when I am here. The scenery is full of majesty and wonder.

Welcome to my followers. I am delighted to say my followers have tripled in recent times! I am thrilled to have your company and I note your diverse origins - namely Japan, England and USA. How amazing is that!

Gratitude

What am I grateful for?
Yes I know Oprah haas done this idea to death with her incessant chant of "make a gratitude dairy" but maybe she has a point.
My daughter has written a list of her life affirming gratitude for her blessings. I will now do the same:

1. I can still mow the lawns
2. I live in a beautiful country
3. I saw two kingfishers yesterday
4. I am alive
5. I  have food to eat
6. I have all my fingers and toes
7. Google allows me direct access to so much information
8. I have family
9. I can hear
10. I can speak

What are you most grateful for?

It is our imperfections that make us whole

Last week my father passed away after a long illness. He was 86 years old. His wish for most of his years was to live to the ripe old age of 90 years. I do not think that in the end he regretted not making it, for after much hard work, and much shedding of skins he was ready to pass into the light.

I spoke at his funeral. There were many things I could not speak of but I spoke of his last few years after a major stroke left him crippled and bedridden and the internal work he completed during that time.  He had imperfections like all of us; they were part  of the man, they made him human. We are all flawed and when we are remembered we want to be remembered whole, imperfections and all. Otherwise it is not real, just empty mouthings from people who did not know us.And being known and being seen it how we find meaning and connection with others.

As Leonard Cohen said "there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." Such a poet.

Why Lemon diamond

Welcome to my blog.

Believe it or not my Grandmother's maiden name was lemon diamond. I just love it!
Lemons are good for the digestion when the juice squeezed into a glass of warm water and drunk upon rising.

Diamonds look fantastic on a finger.

This blog will look at the sour and the sparkle of life. I will be unafraid to explore the mysteries of life, including the spiritual.

I look forward to developing my approach as I journey along. 

If there was ever a time when I needed a forum to express myself it is now. I have the time and the inclination due to divorce, unemployment, a mid life empty nest and the fact that I am writing a book. I will have to upskill myself to take photgraphs.