sorry, I just have to post this

blood tests for my thyroid have also shown that my cholesterol is up and that I have a vitamin D deficiency.
for heavens sake! I live in the sunny country. the land where melanoma is just about the number one killer from too much sun.
how can I be vitamin D deficient?
how?
because my liver and adrenals are stressed and not working to utilize the vitamin D. most probably from the radiation I had 10yrs ago and the stress that I carry in my genes.
will this kill me?
most probably not.
although I do know that women with stressed livers & adrenals and high cholesterol.. can suffer heart attacks.
it is all connected you see.
the liver is affected by the grief from childhood issues and early life. grief & sadness held in. tears not allowed to fall.
adrenals are connected as well to sadness, grief & stress..
and then the thyroid plays a part in it all as well..
taken off HRT last year did not help.
honestly, I could just about cry.
[like I said, I had to post this because. who knows why.
I will be back tomorrow. happier I hope.

and that brings us to the end of March

an exciting day

now it seems, I have thyroid problems. dammit, I don't need this. I eat well, don't smoke or drink and I get this. Sorry God, I do not have time to be sick, thankyou very much. anyhow..now I am off for blood tests and ultrasounds. ho. hum.

continuing on our trip.. off to Halls Gap - a gorgeous town set at the bottom of The Grampians. a mountain range. where the mists come down low. there is an eeriness about this area. long gone aboriginal people and their energy I think. a place of sadness.

we were there for two days ~ staying in a little cottage. both those days, it rained. not much fun on a bike, so we spent our time walking and drinking hot chocolate in a little cafe that had free WiFi..

Ash Wednesday fell on the day we were there and the nearest Ash Wednesday Mass was 40 mins away.. so I did what I could. gathered leaves and twigs like the Aboriginals might do. found myself a piece of bark and made ashes from the Australian bush

and I anointed myself.

I also had an opportunity to take part in an art class with local aboriginals.. it is not as easy as you might think. all those little dots.. then after our two days - we rode to visit my son. At Glen Fine sheep station. he and his new girlfriend are living in the station managers house, rent free while they look after the homestead. it is a beautiful old home from the late 1800's but sadly has been let go.. they live in the middle of about 16,000 acres.

Glen Fine - surrounded by old gardens full of jerusalem artichokes, old pear & apple trees and resident bats.

quite cold while we were there..so my son Caine lit the fire. we had a great night together.. laughing and my mothers heart feeling so at peace to see my first born happy once again. a sigh of relief.

as promised ~ Sacred Heart Cathedral

what can I say? this Cathedral took my breath away. the workmanship was divine. I have never seen anything like this in Australia [there must be many, I just have not come across them].. it was like something out of a French tourist book..

going up these steps felt like i was going to Heaven. & in a way, I did.

on the last day in Bendigo I decided to go to Mass. row after row of red cedar pews. [Mass was held in a little side chapel. there were only a handful of people]

there were little chapels everywhere.. each one even more spectacular than the one before. i just cannot begin to tell you how I was feeling while I walked around [with my mouth open I am sure]

statues made of marble. even Joe was excited when he stumbled upon St. Therese - he knows how close to my heart she is.

I loved this
and I could not resist kneeling down.. and the photo.. I wanted this to remember how humbled i felt in such a place.

and that was my time spent in the Cathedral.. among my guides & Saints...
[next, we are off to Halls Gap, then to visit my son!]

yesterday at Villa Maria was a brilliant day. I spent most of the day in my back garden. pulling out spent summer vegetables, digging in compost and mulching. Preparing the beds for autumn planting and will allow some to stay fallow until springtime.. regenerating with a lovely feed and mulch. the soil is still not 100% here and it will take quite alot of work to get the worms back. I stirred the comfrey tea - creating a vortex..[part of bio-dynamic theory]. Accompanied by a multitude of dragonfly & citrus butterfliesI am still waiting for the magpies to come visit my garden. I hear them every morning but still they don't venture into the garden of Villa Maria.

on the 2nd (& 3rd) days..

we rode through the country side of Victoria to the Gold rush town of Bendigo. arriving at Rosa May Cottage - our accommodation for two nights. a quick cup of tea, change of clothes and off we went to our Gold mine tour.

where we proceeded to dress our selves in an assortment of oversized clothing. complete with boots, gloves and helmet with light.

I ended up looking very much like a cornish miner.. or a gnome.

[miners of old didn't have this modern lighting on their hats, they had candles. actually they didn't even have hats.]

we went to a depth of 81mtrs underground. very exciting. however, I did not find any gold. if I had, I would not be here blogging.
after the tour we were taken to the 'lunch room' and to my surprise and delight, we were served a Cornish pastie. yum. yum. yum.

after the tour, we went looking for somewhere to have dinner & on our way we came across this absolutely magnificent building.

it took my breath away. I was in awe. what was it? I kept looking and looking at it in wonder... [the tale of this building will be a separate post.. I think it warrants it]

we stumbled upon a Mexican restaurant. to our delight..

Margaritas and Sangria.. and of course more food & dessert. It seems all I did was eat.

to work of some of the weight I was sure I was gaining.. we went walking. Bendigo is quite hilly - we walked around streets. up hills and back down again. into the heart of the city. ..

wandering around town.. where Queen Victoria reigns supreme..

the next day.. we went on a talking tram tour.. around all the points of interest.. chinese temples from the gold rush days. old buildings. beautiful parks... just playing tourists.


[next, the Cathedral and our ride to Hall's Gap]

and I must tell you about our time away. the first day..

we rode for 7 hours to Beechworth. that is 7 hours on the bike [getting off about every hour or so, where I proceeded to eat my way through the journey]..
i slept on and off... meditated deeply at times. yes. that is possible while sitting on the back of a Harley.

At Beechworth, we checked into our accommodation

the Old Priory.
the Old Priory was a gorgeous old building.. a little run down. but full of mystery and an aura of old. of people's past.
after dinner, we went for a walk - around the grounds where I discovered an old Grotto..

I spent some time there. With Mary.

then dinner at Tatswells hotel.
I had Lamb Curry.

then we went for another walk.. meeting up with a local tour guide who was doing a Ghost tour that night.. 2 hours walking around the Old buildings..listening to tales of life in the goldfields. a hard life. a sometimes violent life. all because of money & gold

next morning - an early walk, breakfast and then while Joe packed the bike.. I wandered into the old orchard, surrounded by the ghosts of the past

and did my centering prayer...
then off to Bendigo. a 3 hour ride..

[today my eldest grandson turns 12. I know, I know. I am not old enough to have a 12 year old grandson!!]

our first autumn Equinox here at Villa Maria

yes. the wheel of the year has turned once again and we celebrate our first autumn equinox at Villa Maria. and once again instead of trying to do all my little ritual & such in oneday, I am doing it over the next month.. makes alot more sense to me

the garden doesn't have the same intensity of change of seasons here..as was at Inglewood. the temperature is a little warmer here in Springwood. eventually when my garden is where I want it to be, I am sure there will be alot more evidence of the changing of the seasons.

'Going through your personal gardens with thanks'
most of the summer vegies are coming to an end - basil, cucumbers & tomatoes all ready to be pulled out.. but the rain has been stopping me. it has been a wet month so far. I am desperate to get out there and do some autumn work. my favourite time of the year. the oregano along the path is showing signs of autumn and in need of a huge trim. the sedum 'autumn joy' is coming into flower, promising beautiful heads of crimson which will feed butterflies & bees throughout winter and into spring.


the oranges are once again laden with fruit - cannot wait until I can pick my own oranges once again. last year when I first moved in, those oranges are what kept me going.. they were so sweet & juicy.

'A feast for family always provides a cheerful abundance of energy and thanks'
Lamb cooked slowly in my tagine - flavoured with tumeric, cinnamon, saffron & bay leaves.. all brilliant autumnal colours!

Autumn is slipping through summer's branches & I am listening.
I am listening to the dying flowing forth from autumn's being.
I am listening to the life hidden in the dying .
I am listening to the song of transformation
to the wisdom of the season,
to the losses and the grieving,
to the turning loose and letting go.
I am listening to the surrender of autumn
I am listening to the miracle
of crumbling leaves becoming earth again.
I am listening to the beauty and fragility of aging.
I am listening to a call for inner growth,
to my need to let go of material possessions,
to my need to reach our for invisble gifts.
[Joyce Rupp] (given to me by Sr. Jacinta - facilitator of my Benedictine Cosmology Group]

March celebrations

last night we went to Leichardt, near the city of Sydney. well known for its Italian community. [we actually went to a Brazilian restaurant for dinner]

and afterwards, wandered around the Italian Quarter..

while Joe snapped away with his iPhone..

I did my best impersonations of the fountain scene from Under the Tuscan Sun.

not only was it our anniversary yesterday. but also my mothers 75th birthday.
22nd March is my grandson Harry's 3rd birthday
and 24th March is my eldest grandson Tom's 12th birthday..
today, we celebrated with an altogether lunch.

Audrey's yoghurt cake. recipe compliments of Susan Loomis 'On Rue Tatin'. in a word: yum

23rd..

I think we have proved 'them' wrong.. 23yrs today! I am blessed - being married to my best friend and soul mate.

HOME

I am home

I missed my garden.
I ate too much and am now like a little round ball of pudding.
My head buzzes from the bike.
I fell over and hurt my hand.. all is well though [learned that Joe has healers hands]..
I prayed for Japan and all that happened.
discovered bio-dynamic gardening.
ate too much.

over the next few days as I come back to earth, I will share and visit..

Saturday dawns

and it is raining. I am once again, not looking forward to getting on the back of the bike. fear sets in. the same fear as back in December, which I spoke about:

I have a fear in my soul of getting on the bike.. Mum carried on a little when we said goodbye - crying that she doesn't know what she will do if something happens to us while away...the fear-mongering of my childhood coming back to haunt me. all night I tossed and turned.. and truthfully, I am dreading getting onto the bike..this is where my faith in what will be, will be comes into the fore... keep me in your thoughts, surround me with Angels.. I feel sick.

this has to be my last time. I am not enjoying it as much anymore.

please, please surround me with angels etc. etc. etc...

we are leaving in an hour or so..
see you on facebook or when I arrive home xoxo

autumn.. not quite but She is on her way... [oh and Saturday, I am off on a little road trip]

the autumn shadows are here! yesterday, I noticed a very slight change to the feel of my day... the shadows are lengthening ever so slightly, there is a glimpse of orange among the still green leaves on the trees as I go for my daily walk. birdlife sounds different and there is a coolness that heralds autumns arrival....

I am off on an adventure on Saturday - riding down with Joe to Victoria to see my son, travel a little around that state and then on to a bike rally.. staying in some gorgeous old homes - visiting as many op shops as i can find..

celebrating Ash Wednesday at a church in a town called Ararat. & doing part of my Lenten journey while I am away.. a brilliant Carbon fast some of which I can share here.. the Catholic Church has finally come to a place where I feel as if it understands me & what I crave for:
“Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that reflect knowing how to re-create a strong alliance between man and the earth...A decisive 'yes' to the protection of creation is necessary and a firm commitment to reverse those tendencies that run the risk of bringing about situations of unstoppable degradation.” Pope Benedict XVI speaking in Italy, September 2007

not quite sure if I will be able to access internet to blog... but I am on facebook - so will be updating there via the iPhone..

[become my friend on facebook.. to see what I am up to while I am away (just incase I can't access my blog) - I may not be able to visit while I am away.. see you when I come home]