On the beach, at dawn:
Four small stones clearly
Hugging each other.
How many kinds of love
Might there be in the world,
And how many formations might they make
And who am I ever
To imagine I could know
Such a marvelous business?
When the sun broke
It poured willingly its light
Over the stones
That did not move, not at all,
Just as, to its always generous term,
It shed its light on me,
My own body that loves,
Equally, to hug another body.
Mary Oliver
I am drawn out with the soft grey dawn, awakening bird songs lure me into the day. The wind softly guides me up the ridge line walk. I am cocooned in layers of wool like paperbark and I soon enter a walking meditation, every rhythmic step the goal of my experience.
Each footfall quiet and attentive.
my awareness extends, to touch bird melodies and leaf whispers, though I think I am quiet, a walkaby at 50 metres scampers away through the rasping grass.
my soft steps continue the meandering morning path. Pale light and muted colours.
There are fewer melodies up here now. I am dreamily passing blood woods and casuarinas, the old ones, bladed grasses and fallen limbs.
I’m leaving the rumble and play of the creek noises and entering a quieter hillock. I’m present to the sensations of my walking body, swaying limbs as branches and sound chasing.
Until I find myself thinking about journalling my experiences and story.
A chuckle for myself.
This morn I’ve risen chirpy like a wee yellow breasted wren. Nothing will dim my song. My quiet escape fills me with glee.
The landspace subtly shifts and now I have a view over the ridge to the cascading forest across the valley. Each bunch of grey/orange/blue/greenery swaying its own direction. Spun and waltzed by this buffeting wind. Ah this wind! it lifts me high into its embrace,
my face turns and smiles into it like a happy farm dog on the tray of a ute.
Joyous in the face of windy thrills.
my senses open once more and slowly i step along. Observing all the sheoak saplings culled by the last burn off.
I note some of the soft leaved branches will help our fire start this drizzly day. I step over the exposed roots of a large blood wood giving honour as one of the sentinels of the woods. There aren’t many left up here.
Ahh my heart sours, a treasure of fairy pink by my foot print. A solitary pink fairy orchid offers me rain drops from her petals. I delicately catch them and pray with this tiny gift of bush magic. We commune until I am beckoned on, where a forming balga spear has immature flower heads adorning the top foot or so. It is smooth and strong and a wondrous display of natures contrasts. The slender pointy leaves forming a protective cushion below.
I read recently, look under the green growth on wet days, there one can find a cache of dry tinder. I note this also for my fire efforts.
It’s only on my return I notice the balgas grow on the higher ground and I’ve unwittingly left their domain. I’m too hungry to turn back.
I feel drawn on until I can view the little mountain adorned by turtle head rock. Its clear I’m not to wander there this day. The wind tugs and swirls around me. I am expansive and generous in my exchange.
Up here I notice the diverse bird song again, the open woodland carpeted with grasses and granite beds. The balgas grow more prolifically.
I wish I could translate their tunes and calls, but I am not yet a devoted bird nerd.
The day has brightened and my mood with it. This spontaneous solitude nourishing and adding to my collection of stories. I run.
My body fairly hovers downhill pausing only for tinder collecting and slurping rain drops from sheoak fronds as i pass their domain. I run my mouth along a bundle of new growth and catch a small mouthful of plant gathered sky juice.
I return with my happy heart anticipating the smokey perfume and family shawl I shall wear this day.
Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields…Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.
Mary Oliver
on Easter eve we are visiting friends on the journey north from Sydney. The children go out in the sunset pink to cut grass to line the easter basket and to feed the Easter hare
while they cut I retell an Easter story about the journey of the Easter hare and the purpose of the eggs as i have adopted it from this great book. Easter in Autumn. i deeply enjoy storytelling without a book in front of me as i took the time to learn the story and make it my own. They are both captivated and i feel peaceful with this serene wash of calm coming over me as i bask in the moment and the beauty of the simple now-ness and connection we are sharing. i am inspired to learn more stories to tell.
this basket was woven in Arnhem land, jesse gifted it to Lily on return of his trip there last year. {i got a lady version for my birthday}
the light is soft and pastelly and embracing and look below, it hints to the sky of the dawn…
Lily and I have made a date to silently watch the sunrise on Easter morn.
we are camped by a river and the light bounces from the water in a myriad of pastel delicacies..
Pelicans join us and we are gifted this close observation of a much loved bird
Lily points out the Pelican has made a heart with it’s own reflection
i resolve to make more dates with Lily, the peace of simply being together touches us both deeply. It is grounding and loving and sets us up for a rich connection through the day.
finally a golden peep through the clouds melts the dew from waxy leaves
a new day
a new beginning
as we walk back we pick golden sunny flowers to decorate the bus and the easter baskets, glistening with dew
Cedar and Jesse are awake and after the children exclaim over the gifts from the Easter hare in their baskets, they go outside with a poem of clues to find the Easter treasures
oh whats under here??
skip to a quick ant bite interlude….
then the treasure hunt is back on….
looking looking looking, Lily can see the silver paper on the tyre and is encouraging Cedar to find it and giggling about his looking but not seeing… i remember Lily at this age needing very obvious eye level treasures to find… 
I found it!!
and up here Cedar!
i am wondrous to see Lily turn the seeking into a game for Cedar in which she is showing and helping him in a thoughtful way, instead of rushing around claiming all the treasure. it reveals the change out of early childhood i am seeing into a less selfconcerned world view. beautiful.
the treasure is in and unwrapped and eaten.
after struggling in the night with my staunch anti chocolate stance, i realise the experience of my uptight stress is less beautiful than the joy the children will have when unwrapping 2 squares of organic chocolate before breakfast!
and it was fine, and they were so happy, and they did not have sugar meltdowns!
it’s good to let go a little now and then. but yes i am pretty strict about sweets in our own home and prefer to savour these type of treats for specials.
later in the day we prepare eggs to decorate and enjoy an omelette for lunch
you may know how already but here
the simple steps to blow eggs ready for decoration and hanging
use a large pin to pierce one end of an egg, i use a series of punctures in close proximity to open a 2mm hole, repeat on the opposite end and remember to have a bowl ready to catch your egg insides {make an omelette or cake…}
apply your lips and lungs to the task of blowing a stream of egg insides to the outside. rinse by submersing in water and blowing out once more. towel dry and there they are, light and ready to decorate. we often use water colour pencils or paints, or dye with onion skin…
in the weeks coming up to Easter i scout around town for white shelled eggs.. {In Bellingen they are sold at the Providore from a local farmer….} this year we had little choice as we travelled…
the easter bounty which the children are happy happy happy with
during our afternoon drive i watch Lily singing out the window like a puppy with her face in the wind…
i imagine her reflecting on the day and she is singing her happiness to the world…
some sweet sweet moments in our day
blessings and happy new beginning to us all…
Waking up to
The ocean does something really wonderful to me! Particularly in the glow and cool of early morn as I stretch open my body and mind.
Then reading this post which inspired me and articulated gently a common thread in parenting.
Blessings on your day
Can you give yourself a simple intention for this day?
R
Thank you J for the photos
Guess where we are??
We are blessed with a golden sunrise all dewy and glittering
Jesse is giving A new market a sunshiny musical show
And we are looking at great old architecture and curios and then seeking shade
An unforgettable nose…
What are you doing today?
Peace
Xx
Ps Lily comes out of the public convenience and says”definitely NOT glamorous!!”
Mornings at Salamanca market in Hobart and another
Golden sunrise 
I was initially surprised by the length of the market street amidst the beautiful heritage stone buildings of the docks.
Now I’m more familiar with the layout I confidently seek the organic growers and craftspeople I prefer. It’s a little over stimulating to spend too long in here but the oncelers love it!
The produce is scentfull and colorful, I shop while the others are still in bed and return with fresh bread and goods for the week.
Apples have just started appearing and today there are seven unfamiliar varieties to choose from. The seller says in a fortnight he will have 25 varieties!! Yum but we will be back in Victoria then.
Apples are my favored fruit along with raspberries so I’ve been happy happy happy in Tasmania. 
I’m in a blessed position where I am committed to come to markets every week while we travel yet am free to roam and fossick, eat and enjoy. When I was a stallholder I was tied to my stall and couldn’t explore much so this liberty is appreciated! Thanks Jesse! (even if it means having the children all day in a busy noisy atmosphere, or even when I am bleeding and in pain and the last desire is to be in public, I am learning to handle my role and take it gently) we have a stroller again which makes it easier to move about and I pack a rug, snacks and water and a book for lily and knitting for me and cars for Cedar.
I’m learning to go to the park and play for most of the day and make focused forays into the market for what we need. On my own I am an avid browser and appreciate the beautiful artisan crafts and vintage clothing stalls… I have also learnt to just take some cash and not my bank card so I am on a budget.
Oh Lordy this is divine!
This unassuming little creek is actually fed with scalding (about 70’c) spring water from deep in the earth!
We are enjoying our most luxurious bathing in months!
Phil I hope you get to visit here, you’d be totally blissed!
Even sitting on the course sand the heat is radiating up to my grateful skin as the ambient temperature is 20’c and windy
This is the second hot spring I’ve visited in Australia, the other being Douglas hot springs in the NT in 2005. In 2008 we visited the thermal bath town of Renne Les Bains in southern France which was another delightful setting …
The humble natural location here is appealing to me, and results in it being very quiet. No tourist spectacle in sight. Dig a hole and soak in it. Simple.
today under thick marshmallow cloud, in my five minutes of undisturbed bathing I could lay in my hot puddle and watch the antics of the raucous parrots in the overhead flowering gum. To me that was bliss…
Joy. Hope to have a peaceful soak under the stars tonight with the silver smile of new moon as my mirror.
Go give your bathtub some love…
Continued…
We’ve stayed two nights here to luxuriate in the mineral waters!
In the camp ground are six pools of varying heat to slip between.
Lily is a happy fish
We went for some mama daughter time this sunset and stopped with our feet in the hot creek lay back looking at the skyscape. Talking planets, moon cycles, stars and imagining experiencing space travel.
Precious time to connect after a spat of conflict over dinner.
Lily found ochre to paint us up and made a coconut shell boat with anchor
The view from my bathing place I am loving the blue sky sky sky
It’s rare to find the dreaming story of a place do easily. I loved retelling it for my family
It sure beat
The water meets the magma heat 600m below ground. It expands and is forced to the surface through fractures in the rock.
I tiptoe out into breezy seaside dawn
Away from sleeping babes who keep me up in the night
Tide has encompassed the mudflats this morn to wash the sea wall
Small barricade
Between homes and watery sheeting slickery waves
I like this tidal renewal each day
It reflects my inner tide.
Sticky eyes glad for dim cloudy light
And look there the big glowing moon setting!
Ah a moment for me
A moment to amble and awake
At my own pace
Precious
I am tentative to walk the sand
As this is crocodile land
Feeling the fear.
This has been my work these last days
The fear the scared the worried the anxious
Am I really this person?
Was I always so or has it
crept up on me?
Wow its uncomfortable to be with
Shall I cling onto the awareness too?
Or let myself move
Shall I walk in the scary place
like this fella with a net
Hoping to catch some of life’s bounty this morning
And not think only of the big teeth which could tear at any moment?
Keep walking keep moving keep feeling
Notice my numbness
Remember the choice of my focus
Watch the thoughts arise in me
Fear disguised as other things!
Sneaky how it does that!
How to integrate my inner work
and be Present with my family in each daily way
Looking for moments of solitude like this mornings wander
Making porridge and reading stories and feeling the tears within
May I be filled with grace and patience
And strength within my vulnerability.
Blessings on the day
Rosalindentree
sunshine (finally)
glinting off smooth sea
expanse from north to south
my being relieved and breath coming deeply
oh to fly out into that silver morn
on the whisper of a sheoak frond broom
bird of my soul carry me
onto the warm currents
and whirl across the whirled
with joyous delight
***
Peace to you
Roselinde
RosaLindenTree 