From my winter home,
because the trees are bare of leaf,
I can see right across to the far side
of the Waikato Basin to Te Aroha,
 Mountain of Love.

Today I travelled east with the mountain before me.
A sad and poignant day.
I was going to the funeral of Kevin, son of my dear cousin Lyn.
I was travelling on the very road where the tragedy had struck
leaving a family bereft. 

Have you ever noticed a beautiful synchronicity
with the earth when we grieve?
Or is it that my senses are alerted and I notice nature
and translate what I see into signs and parables.
As I drove along the highway
a huge cloud formed over Te Aroha. 

It began to take the form of some angelic guardian
looming over this place where Kevin lived his rich life. 

Do not fear
it seemed to say.
Papatuanuku
knows your sorrow. 

A circle closes.
To be sad means we have loved.
To die means we have lived.
I feel such gratitude
for sharing in these mysteries of living
in this universe that we scarcely understand. 
Kevin greatly lived and loved.
A circle closes.

Have you ever noticed how mountains always
look smaller up close.
As a grieving family gathers close
there is the healing laughter of memory
as well as tears.

As I left Te Aroha
the clouds were there still,
but looked like happy dancing puppies frolicking with joy,

and sun tipped clouds 

and rays of light that spoke of hope. 

At home I looked to see Te Aroha
but instead one
rainbow
glowed
through the misty rain..
a parable of love.


My love to all those Kev left behind.


xoxoxo

Just a doodle
and a quote I liked.. 

Amazing discovery.. there are rocks and dust on Mars!

Just thinking about
the amazing news
of the first landing on Mars...


just wondering... 

Raglan by the Sea:

I've been missing again.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.

I've been supporting a friend who hit a tough spot.
At last things are looking up
and I decided
a day out in the country was the perfect antidote to past blues.
I picked up my friend and off we went.


There is nothing like a walk in the bush to revive and refresh
and make a new start.

Deep breaths of fresh morning air;
the trees;
the green;
 the unique smell of the bush. 

The sound of water tumbling like music
and  the still pools.
  

The warmth of sun

and the patterns of light.

The wonder of small things
creating perfection,

 the miracle of new life,

and the thunder of cascading water.

After our morning walk in the bush,
revived by the sight and sound of beautiful Bridal Veil Falls,
we travelled on

to Kawhia Harbour. 

We found the bay 

and the old bach (beach house)
 that was a place of memories for my friend.

The place of happy childhood  summer holidays. 

 Changed and yet the same.
We sat on the deck and reminisced about
childhood things.

The ebbing tide was gentle and healing.

The toitoi keeping sentry
and riroriro the greywarbler singing his heart out. 

Such a happy day.

My friend found a tiny kina. a sea urchin,
identical in size to the silver one
she was wearing around her neck,
and four smooth stones for the Buddhist pebble meditation
we'd been talking about.

We marvelled at the diverse and wonderful  

creativity in nature
and collected treasures to take home for memory.

We wandered around the arty shops
of Raglan by the Sea
and felt inspired.
We chatted over delicious coffee in a busy cafe
and ate fish freshly caught in the harbour.

We went home feeling that happy tiredness,
the gift of the salty sea air.

This evening I took down my small volume of NZ Short Stories
and read yet again,
Katherine Mansfield's
At The Bay.

A fitting end to a perfect west coast day.