A new year

I've been missing blogging.  It's quite therapeutic, sitting down to write a few thoughts about what has been happening in one's life. I love it when friends and family tell me they read this blog. People often complain that they can't leave comments and it's on my resolution list to figure out why that is. So thank you for being interested, dear readers. I wish you a very contented year in 2013.

I'm hoping for an easier year. I do try to find the up-side in any given situation, but 2012 was a bit of a challenge at times. It's all a bit yin/yang. Even in the good times - like Lian's wedding, there were painful parts.  But on the other hand, even in the terrible times, like Mae's illness, there were beautiful moments. It all comes down to living as best you can in the present.

New Year Resolutions? I resolve to be more generous in my spirit and in my actions. To be more tuned in to the needs of others and to try to be more spontaneously helpful. Also, I want to be kinder in my thoughts. Negativity and mean thinking just rot you from the inside and don't make anything any better.

So, this is what the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 looked like for us.

After Christmas, we farewelled Nancy and Akinyi who went back to Melbourne while Wim stayed with us another few days. Nancy decided on the morning she left that she wanted to give Dude, our neighbour's horse, a nibble of something.

I cut up an apple and showed her how to give him bits on the palm of her hand. It took several goes before she could leave her hand there long enough for him to get the piece - she had never been this close to a horse before. But they got the hang of it and Dude was receptive and even allowed a pat. Until the apple ran out, then he mooched off.

I'm pleased to report Wim has inaugurated the bath. Can you believe neither David nor I have tried it yet? Wim reports it is very comfortable.

We drove to Sydney and spent the night at Newport where Linda and Phil were housesitting and dog minding. Wim had Wally and Jeppy for company on the couch in the loungeroom for the night. It was a chance to catch up with The Humes and Hume-Grimms. The new paella pan was a triumph. Mussels, prawns, fish, saffron. The works. An Australian/Spanish seafood post-Christmas feast.

Bette contributed a traditional English summer pudding. I wonder if you can get this with fresh local sun-ripened berries in England at Christmas? Maybe not.

The morning after our paella and pudding, 30 December, I was on the coach, heading south for Canberra. David went back to Diamond Beach with Marjory. Wim got on a plane for Brisbane and James and Shuang flew back to China. Lian and Matt were in Canberra briefly so we had a little time together.

New Years Eve saw me, Mae and Nick in the chemotherapy suite at Canberra Hospital. Mae was finished by mid afternoon so later we went for a drive to look at a house nearby where the owners had put up lots of lights. This one was a cracker. It even had a singing Santa that was life size and gyrated alarmingly while crooning Christmas songs. People make donations and it goes to the Cancer Council.

Chemo number 8 of twelve was a little easier than number 7, maybe because Mae had had a three week break to recover rather than the usual two. But it's very tough and she's weak and fragile. The only outing Mae managed while I was there was a drive to the lookouts. This one is from Red Hill.

Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin is beautiful at dusk.

I stayed a week this time, thanks again to Marg and Keir for the bed. In the mornings while Mae slept, I was out and about. It was great to catch up with Sally, Andrea and Malise, do some shopping, choose some curtain fabric for our bedroom and visit the Gallery. Even managed to see a movie - "Quartet" - good, but it made me cry. I seem to have a lower blub threshold lately...

Back on the train on Saturday. Having learned the expression "selfie" from Mae and Nick (ie photos you take of yourself with your mobile phone) I decided to try it. The delighted expression is because I had a compartment all to myself and I had just consumed some scones with Lian's blackberry jam, which was in my luggage.

The XPT train journey from Sydney to Taree is a recommended trip. Very comfortable and a bit over 5 hours of quite lovely scenery especially this bit, between Dungog and Gloucester.

Back at Diamond Beach it was good to be home and to see Peter, Elaine and Marjory (briefly). Peter is just serving up his cherry trifle. Yum.

After they left, we opened the lucky last of our Christmas presents - these ones from Lian and Matt. I'm embarrassed at how generously we have been looked after with gifts from family and friends. So the festive season is over for another year. Its been a good Christmas - spread out and involving a lot of travel, but good.

Now. It's officially 2013. I need to get serious about getting back into the workforce to pay for all this house spending we've been doing lately. Also, next episode: progress in the garden.