SPECIAL VISITORS

Our visitor this morning! It is the third time we have seen him/her. The first time I was positive he was a pet escaped from somewhere and went out armed with a towel to help me catch him! No chance! He as he has to be a wild bunny, timid and shy and fleeing as soon as he knew I was there, and albino. So pretty! The next visit was when three year old Jono was here and we were able to catch a glimpse of him from inside the house. And then today...E called me and I crept outside with the camera and eventually tracked him down hiding in the agapanthus. Maybe he actually is the young Easter Bunny and will be back here at Easter, hope so anyway!

We have been lucky enough to have had two other special visitors in the last month. The first was a very dear and creative cousin from the UK, in Australia for her two yearly visit. She lives in a remote part of Derbyshire on a farm which has been a 'must do' visit for all of us on this side of the world. It is beautiful there, the Peak District with it's hills and valleys. The house is nestled into the side of a steep hill, a public walking path literally behind the house. It was lovely to have her here, lots of talking and catching up on family news. Never a long enough visit when you know it will be two years until we see her again!

Our next visitor was a very old friend...another creative one! She arrived with a lovely bunch of lilies which lasted for a week...I've only just thrown them out. I love having flowers in the house and even more when they belong to a huge bunch like this. E does give me flowers sometimes but my treats from him are usually more practical, wood for the fire, cups of tea in bed, I was going to add new tyres for the car but had better change that to a new car as we have just bought a new car...wonderful! I'm really very spoilt even though it isn't always flowers!

You might remember we bought this painting from her exhibition a few months ago and it is the only painting we have on the walls here. And I think will be the first to hang in our new house...when it comes!

E went to a wood working exhibition when L was here so for the first time in a very long time we had quiet time together. Our four children each spent a lot of time together when we were all much younger, we did too of course! We went 'up the street' in our little town, bought the Saturday papers, went to the op shop where Mrs Vase Lady, me, had to buy a vase, the me who has heaps of wonderful vases had to buy one....mine are all packed! L looked and looked to see if she could find something to take home but sadly missed out this time! Then I had the supermarket and L went across the street to the ALREADY READ BOOKSHOP.  I nearly lost her there, she was,in heaven and came out later with three books. I can't recall what she bought but I came out with Perfume From Provence, first published in 1935, written by Lady Fortescue! Very similar to the Peter Mayle set in Provence as well. The drawings by E.H. Shepard are as you can imagine them to be, very Winnie The Pooh-ish! And this is why I couldn't resist the book. Next stop was a local cafe for coffee for L and tea for me, something I haven't done since we moved here. Then a drive around the town looking at areas where we would like to buy, picking up some beautiful fresh basil and tomatoes from a stand on the side of the road. Home, then lunch, a read of the papers and while L picked up my paints...and painted, I lay on the couch reading my murder mystery. L is one of those people who just gets on with whatever is happening, she has a sense of the ridiculous along with her sense of humour, and at the moment is getting on top of and dealing with breast cancer...in her own inimitable way. Life goes on as normal and she isn't going to waste a single minute. She is a very special friend and this time was so precious.

And now for a laugh..at myself! I've been trying out my new bike, a three wheeler! I rode an ordinary bike two miles there and back to school, from when I was 5 but haven't ridden much since those junior school days. So,aged 72, I'm off again....

 

Not a very flattering photo but there I am, helmet and all!  I haven't ventured out onto the road yet as we have a large area of bitumen close to the house so I have been doing circuits here and so far all is going well. I think years of bike and horse riding have stood me in good stead and I'm able to easily keep my balance...hopefully it isn't a case of pride goes before a fall! Another very dear friend, an artist as well, is 84 and she has been riding her three wheeler around her suburb for 5 kms...for 4-5 years so with some encouragement from her, at the much younger age of 72, I decided to get going too! The area where we are doesn't have hills than goodness, I mightn't be so chirpy if there were! 

I'm sorry this is such a long post, I've tried to split it into two but can't manage to do so. I won't mind if you don't get to the bottom but if you are reading this you have managed to do so!