Finding a Fullness.

My recent lack of wordful expression here has been personally noted, however, it is not because I have not had thoughts and emotions to express and my normal excitement bursting from all of my extremities, in fact that enthusiasm has not been quietly contained, it has just been needed; directed in the appropriate direction to attend at present to all of the aspects of my rather full and vibrant existence. Yet we've still contently wandered our way within the changing seasons, through Autumn and into Winter, nicely coloured with an array of new and cosy op-shop scarves and jackets.

 

We've met some fairly wild weather along the way.. tornado's, ravaging winds, house shaking thunder, flash hail storms..

But there have still been little treasures to find amongst the cold as well.

And the sky has a different freshness about it following a storm..

 There has been to mention, a... 'busy'?. somewhat consuming semester of university, although rewardingly balanced out with a handful of healthy A's scribbled upon the front pages of returned assignments, and then the unwavering calmness I've learned to maintain as I become accustomed to the otherwise unnerving exams that top off the end of each semester; also consequently adorned with that perky first letter of the alphabet. I have successfully changed my studies from a social work degree, to one majoring in social policy which will then be followed by a diploma in teaching so I can make my classroom participation a more permanent placement. Which leads me to the next notable usage of my time, a... 'busy'? school term with my no longer overly 'little' young man. It has been full of plenty of colour and character - from poetry about vegetables, to having Dad come and teach 25 extremely enthusiastic seven and eight-year-old's the process of making bread by hand over the course of a day - as the kids have explored the wonderful world of yeast and bread during this last term. Which of course isn't complete without a few bread like creations in his lunch box along the way.

Then there has been the most enthusiastic Dad wriggling his way into every Wednesday morning at school to take my now well be-friended group of little kiddly-winks (my own kiddly-wink included) to hopefully have made spelling a more thoroughly enjoyable exercise. And now, after more than a quarter of a century of life lived solely upon my little north island of New Zealand not having left once, I find myself just two very exciting weeks off hopping onto a large metal bird to accompany my 82-year-old grandmother to spend a month in the Autumny tones of the delightful English countryside.. the planning of which in itself has also made good use of my time.

So after a nice school holiday break with my little man, I pack my bags and and bundle up my new semesters books, we say goodbye to our ever growing excitingly life-filled house, I leave my boy with his mother for the longest six weeks of being apart.. and I stretch my wings... to embark on my very first explorative flight.

Although, I don't want to claim to be busy.. busy somewhat implies that you don't have enough time, or that your run off your feet - and were that the case, I'd choose my foot steps differently.. I prefer to suggest that life has become rather full. Full of the fullness of life.

However, of the greatest importance to note here right now, are the words in the poem that follow. For at only the gleaming young age of seven, a passion I have long had for vegetables has now been successfully passed along. 

Veges & Me.

Since when I was born, my Dad he has fed,
me full of good food to grow clever he said.
Like parsnips, and carrots and onions and leek,
beetroot and cabbage, cucumbers each week.
Salads of lettuce, pumpkin that’s roasted,
a diet of veges with sourdough toasted.
Peppers I like but eggplants I love,
As if they’ve been sent down from heaven above.
One time he made, just last week I’d seen,
the most glorious pie full of things that were green.
Bright red tomatoes, a handful of herbs,
with fresh hand-made pasta for dinner, superb.
No chickens, or pigs, or birds that can fly,
no sheep and no cows will pass my plate by.
For everyday when it comes to things eaten,
I promise you now, veges can-not be beaten!!