Happy Birthday Jenn

I love the way you love my son Jenn, and how deeply you've enriched our family...

much love to you today and always darling girl!

Happy Birthday!

I thought I knew love...

Ive watched my daughter as a new mother struggle patiently to feed and settle her baby during a long night right before her final exams, never asking for help..and I thought that was love..

I've watched my son dig his girlfriend's car out of 2ft snowdrifts on a frigid morning at 4am..each day for a week, because she came home from nightshift before the snowplows had done their rounds..and I thought I knew love..

I've heard my son in law talk gently to his daughters as they scrambled onto his lap after a particular gruelling day at work, then make dinner for the family so that my daughter could go to gym or visit a friend..and I thought then that I knew love..

Ive watched a brother spend his last well earned dollars on Christmas gifts for his nephew and nieces, and ship them priority mail half-way across the world so that they would arrive on time..

And a sister who does the same because she wanted each of us to share a little bit of Africa with her this year...no matter what the expense..

A mother who heats up my wheatie bags every morning so that I may have a warm bed to climb into when I get home from a 12hr night shift..

I've seen lovers drive for miles, sit in planes, wait at airports during snowstorms, endure foreign coffee and cramped leg space so that they may wrap themselves around one another for even a short time.

Ive read love letters, Ive written a few, Ive received flowers and sent some, Ive shared champagne, and water, and tea and coffee. Ive seen love.

And yet I wonder, have they seen mine? Have they known my heart when I've walked through those doors one last time, packed suitcases and unpacked them again, climbed on board long distance flights from foreign countries, and cities? Have they felt the heat of my tears when I've left them behind? Do they feel the ache of that love which fills me

Picture Perfect ~ Faux

What doesn't change

is the memory of warmth

the soft trail of suggestion

in absent-mindedly trailing

a hand across your arm

Gently touching hair and further up

a scar of which I know nothing

and dare not ask

I cannot tell the difference

you see

between the dream

And the reality,

its become the inter mingled

blur

of a red hummingbird's wings

The dream erupts

in my waking eye and

spreads across

My undone horizon

as I languish for those

first minutes

savouring the slight

gesture of your hand

in the half light of promises

which may have read

future

Eat, Play, Laugh

We had a wonderful time Gayle and I, it was so good to connect on a deep level with a g/f once again. I know as I've travelled around the world I haven't had the time or energy to make best friends with everyone I've met. Tie that in with a boyfriend who really didn't like people much, and before long I found myself pretty lonely and reliant on just him for conversation. Funny how that dictates your ability to interact with others and make friends.

We shared a five very busy days, we drove all the way up into the Sequoia National Park after a heavy snowstorm, and then down to a sunny Santa Barbara for the day, huge extremes and wonderful that I live so close to the mountains and the ocean. Climbing up into the Sierras and watching the desert floor just disappear below the clouds was an incredible experience, the trees are more majestic than I could ever have imagined. Until you are standing right next to one of these amazing giants you truly do not know the full extent of their magnificence.

We had the most beautiful dinner in a restaurant overlooking the Kaweah river, the rain poured as we talked and ate and sipped wine late into the night. All the pain, hurt of past weeks melted into the darkness as we loosened them with words. A special time.

I am beyond touched that you could travel all this way Gayle, to help me heal my broken heart, thank you for cooking such gorgeous meals for me, laughing with me and showing me how to play..love you my friend, hurry back!

Picture Perfect ~ Working together

Welcome to

PICTURE PERFECT

For our

BONUS Competition week

the theme is

Working Together

this week the hosts are all our previous Top Ten winners

Mia, Harriet, Joanne, Mo, Lisa and the only gent keeping the girls in check (laughs) .. is Vic

My son and his cat Moo had a truly special relationship..sometimes their communication was quite telepathic..

Happy Hearts

Wishing you all full hearts and an abundance of love from all those you hold dear.

Picture Perfect ~ The End

The

PICTURE PERFECT

theme this week

is

THE END

oOo

The End of our Holiday

Saying goodbye is heartbreaking for us now, worse than before I think, the pain and longing never lessens, the not knowing when we will see each other again, the certainty that it wont be anytime soon...makes for some difficult partings in our family ~

Wordless Wednesday

Picture Perfect ~ myself in an image

Thanks for the theme this week Gary, as usual my entry is unofficial.

The link to: Picture Perfect

soooo..what image best describes you?

I chose this picture not because of any physical resemblance to me, but rather because all the important issues, all the good in my life flows from them.

While no one person defines who I am but me, these two certainly come close, they teach me daily..how to love honestly, how necessary a sense of humour is and to live life with calm resilience. They see life clearer perhaps than I do perhaps as they approach life with cautious wonderment, an exhilarating and partially planned adventure without the angst. They make me constantly grateful for who they are, not perfect, but perfectly mine.

They always have my back and I know that if ever I have spinach stuck between my front teeth, you can bet neither of them would look the other way and pretend it wasn't there.

oOo

The picture was taken hurriedly on our last morning together in South Africa. I'm sure it could have been taken with a more beautiful back drop and perhaps cropping it tighter would have made it look neater, but I love Nic's hand on his sisters shoulder, loving and protective..no matter what, I love the spontaneity of the shot and the cheeky grin on his face. I love the peacefulness Jess has in her eyes, happily content.

Happy Birthday Liv

you can play life safe my child

and not fill it to the brim

you can take no risks

and keep your heart in a vault

or you can

love, live and laugh

and

reach for any star you want

any star at all

the sky is full of dreams

dream high sweet girl

let them run wild with what could be

and know that very few

love you quite as much me

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