Nov 21st

I feel well and truly in birthday party mode.

Work was so far from being on my agenda today.  Ben finished the mezzanine yesterday.  I wanted some fabric to billow from the underside of the framework, so when lying in the bed below, our view would be one of a colourful canopy, rather than slats, a mattress and edges of sheets.  I found just the thing within five minutes of walking into the store.  Love that.

The beach started calling from about three pm, so we grabbed the canopy, our bathers and towels and wandered on down.  Three hours of vitamin D replenishment felt wonderful.  I am so grateful to be living so close to such a magical playground.

The letterbox yielded three very exciting things, today.

My new drivers license, my new medicare card and a birthday gift from my sister in NZ.

To receive mail in the name of India, feels wonderful :o). And to have it before my actual birthday is such a bonus.  Of course, the traffic authority and the government sending me mail in a new name because I updated it officially is not as thrilling as receiving mail from my blood, in my new name.  

An acknowledgement of acceptance - no small thing.  And one I am very grateful for.  And this particular sister of my blood makes me laugh so much.  Today's case in point:

Bless *grin*

I rounded off my day by indulging in a little teenage fantasy fodder (that's still acceptable at almost 35, right?!).  The fourth Twilight film was as kitsch and gorgeous as all the others, for me.  I will never consider the films as good as the books - that rarely happens with any translation - but I enjoy them for what they are - a fun couple of hours of visually beautiful entertainment *grin*.  I hope like crazy we don't have to wait as long for the final installment.  

Off to the city tomorrow to enjoy two nights in my favourite hotel.  I hope to find some time to spend in Morris and Sons, the yarn store to top all yarn stores, and maybe a little book reading.  For once, I'm actually considering NOT buying any books - rather reading a few new ones sitting on the shelf that have yet to have their spines creased.  One in particular, that was gifted yesterday, is calling to me...

Until then beautiful ones.

Until tomorrow, the final blog post for this epic journey (can I really call sitting on my butt, writing every day for a year, epic?  Not sure, but it certainly feels epic!).  Starting to feel the pressure to write something significant!  Eep!  You'll forgive me if it's casual, no?

Until then.

xxx

Nov 20th

The day of my birthday lunch with my women has finally arrived!

I have been so looking forward to this day.

I even went out and bought a party dress.  I think I told you that already.

The consensus seemed to be I rock green.  Will remember that for future.  It's not a colour I have gravitated towards in the past, but I'm really enjoying it at the moment.  Perhaps it's the freshness of spring... all those thriving vegie seedlings in the garden... or perhaps it's an India colour.  Is such a thing possible?  I do feel like I'm leaving so much of my old self behind.  But this isn't a recent thing or something that has *just* occurred since the name change, or even since the consideration of the name change.  It's been a slowly evolving thing.  Growth with maturity, perhaps... it was bound to happen at some stage ;o)

Thirteen women joined me today.  Many leaving at home wee breastfed babes.  I felt immensely treasured and loved by each and every one of them.  I had such a wonderful time.  I will let the (many) images speak for themselves <3

There were so many more images, but I don't want to crash your browser ;o).

These are a collection of my favourites.  Images of me with some of the most amazing, important women in my life.  And images showing so much love, connection and intimacy.  I do not, for one minute, ever take for granted the love that overflows in our community.  I am grateful for these women and all they bring to my life, each and every day.

Oct 15th

My day today was made up of (crafting) love, (witnessing) love and (preparing) more love.

Sewing for a gorgeous woman, who has just returned to the Red Tent (resumed cycling again) after many moons of birthing and breastfeeding a bundle of beautiful children.  She contacted, seeking inspiration on where to purchase cloth pads to catch her blood.  I mentioned I would feel honoured to stitch a couple for her, if she was okay with that.  A resounding YES was returned and Lucy and I perused my fabric stash to find the perfect colours with S in mind.  I had such a lovely time, I forgot to photograph the finished items before sealing them up in a postage bag!

Today was another "YES" day for bathers and water-play.  This time, the wading pool in our back yard.  The sun truly does feel delicious at this time of year - warmth without the sting - savoured even more so by the blossoming flowers delighted to be outdoors once again, after too long under roof.  I truly delight in witnessing her pleasure in the wonderful sensations of our world.

 Friends joined us in the early evening for dinner and being quite warm, I couldn't fathom the thought of a hot dinner.  So instead, I had fun (directing the) making (of) gazpacho (been on my to-do list for YEARS!) and because the mangoes are in season and so damn divine, they were just calling to be tumbled around in a bowl with raw trout marinated in lemon and lime juice, and a touch of coriander.  The gazpacho isn't actually pictured by the way, that sumptuous looking pink concoction masquerading as gazpacho is frozen strawberry daiquiri *grin*.

Sept 28th

A most gorgeous, auspicious, magnificent day!

The fifth anniversary of the birth of my beautiful girl.

On this day, five years ago.

30 minutes old.

What a journey from then to now!

Whoever said children are your biggest teachers totally had my number.  I have changed completely and utterly, fundamentally, since the day Lucy was born.  She has challenged my view on everything, EVERYTHING!  I almost couldn't find another soul so completely opposite to me in so many ways.  The way we view the world, our first instincts in all situations, socially... I have seen a whole new world through Lucy's eyes - one I most likely would not have chosen to be bothered seeing, but have been forced to witness to help me understand the way she thinks and the way she responds to life.  As a result, I have become more empathetic, more understanding, more compassionate, more accepting.

And the people that have come into my life, directly as a result of having this wee girl, born at this time.  Magnificent people!  People I call family, sisters.  People I will know for the rest of my life.  People that treasure me, us, as much as we treasure them.  People who have enriched my life beyond measure and continue to do so.  People I would be utterly lost in this vast country, in this complex journey of parenthood, without.  People I adore with my whole heart and soul.

Birthdays are very special to me.

The day the world got that little bit more magical, because someone so amazingly special was born, is absolutely a day to celebrate!  The birth of my child is incredibly special to me.  Not only was our world blessed with another beautiful soul, it was also the day I moved from lover into mother, through the most incredibly intense and powerful transformation of my life to date.  Her birth was very primal, very raw.  I knew so much about birth, and yet nothing at all.  The experience of her birth took me to the limits of my soul and back again.  Had me escaping from my body, flying into the trees never wanting to return, then being wrenched back through the height of an intense contraction, screaming as though on fire (I was told later).  The feeling of her furry head between my fingers as she began emerging from my body is an experience I will never forget.  Alongside the sensation of birthing all four kilos of her in two pushes.

Yes, this is a day with much for me to rejoice and remember, to share with one of the most important people in my life.  And today, we did just that.  A wee ritual or two of our own was shared.  Flicking through the 100 photos of my labour and her birth is one we love to do.  Painting of her fingernails in any colour she chooses - a special ritual for birthdays only.  Today, she chose her clothes.  She loves the frou-frou my girl *smile*.  Bright, spring party dress, pink tiara and ruby red shoes.  Birthing necklace and a strand of her own dress-up necklace for me.  And a day of outings, at her request.

Then on returning home, an hour of her favourite cartoon, Dora and fish and chips for dinner.  A late bedtime AS WELL as the usual two stories (which can often be exchanged for an extended play and later bedtime).  She fell asleep with a smile on her face and her mama's arms wrapped around her.

A full and most joyous day for us both. <3

Sept 24th

What am I grateful for today?

The blessings are far too many to number.

Instead, I will speak via some images from our day, celebrating Ostara with a collection of our loved ones (many thank yous to Sarah, for the vast majority of the captures *kiss*).

 

The hunt, in honour of Ostara.

The act of giving and receiving, in honour of Ostara.

The children were asked, if it felt right in their hearts, to give one of their claimed treasures and in return, receive.

The ritual of intent.

As spring is the time for renewal, for growth, for the manifestation of thoughts brewed, for fertility, we asked our loved ones gathered, to commit to paper the thing or things they wished to see grow in their lives.  They were then offered the opportunity to plant that intention in rich, organic, living, thriving soil, beneath a vegetable seedling in our garden.  The concept being, the seedling and the intent, both planted with love will grow together, supporting each other, nourishing each other, bearing fruit together. 

Many spring blessings to you and your loved ones.

May this season, rich in fertility, bring abundance into your world.

xx