Journey

On Thursday morning Sean took Rory and Colt to visit Grannie Gardiner in Dannevirke.  I stayed behind as I returned to work on Wednesday.  Sean and Rory are due to return this afternoon and it will be nice to see them.  For three days the only beings in our home were Opal (budgie), Fern (dog) and I.  It was the first time I have been truly alone for any length of time in 22 years.  What was most noticeable was the silence and stillness.  It was really loud.  It was almost like an echo in the empty space around me.  The other noticeable thing was that no one needed anything from me.  Aside from work I had no commitments.  The only person I had to attend to was myself.  I was free to choose what to do and when.  It was a very strange sensation.  It took me a while to relax into it but it was easy to fill the time.  I have been; walking, tramping, riding, op-shopping, strawberry picking, baking, doing odd jobs and reading. 

Sean and Grannie kept the boys busy while they were away.  Sean and Colt tramped into the Ruahine range while Rory had a Grannie day.  The four of them had a day trip to Palmerston North where Colt loved the Aquatic Centre. 

Earlier in the week Sean, Colt and I spent a day tramping the Upper Lake Dive loop track on Taranaki maunga while Rory was with Support Carer Jo.  It was an awesome day with beautiful views, a multitude of native flowers and fishing for Koura (NZ crayfish) in Lake Dive.  Colt was in hysterics when one pinched the palm of my hand with both nippers and wouldn’t let go.  It stung!