The Good Life

Life has been one very big adventure and like all adventure has had the good the bad and the ugly. Perhaps it has been a lot of different adventures. I certainly have tried a lot of different persona.

happy little girl, scared little girl, terrified adolescent, homeless, traveller, loved, unloved, straight, very bent, boring, outrageous and more but have finally found peace and happiness. The journey and thus adventures have to come. I look forward to what may be. It is a joy to now be able to feel secure to live in an environment that allows the freedom to explore and grow.

Both my love and myself have had quite a journey in our time together - seems like forever and yesterday. we love. we go through the normal ups and down of living together but we communicate ie unless he is engrossed in one of his projects; then I have time to myself.

a great joy has descended on our piece of paradise. a man who has been a friend for many years needed a home; we had a vacant caravan plus he had a van. he now lives here and the joy of seeing him be able to let go of so much stress makes my heart glow. We have such a beautiful property, so healing. We have a much loved lady friend who comes to visit us; the two have met and fireworks are going off. It is joyous to see two wonderful people so in need of caring finding each other and sparks flying. My heart is so full of joy, happiness and gratefulness. I want everyone to have what Peter and I have and when two single people find each other as Peter and I did ....

The road for them will not be smooth but they know the challenges and know there maybe more they have not considered; taking it slow. I hope there aren't too many hurdles for them; they are well matched.

I have always had a need to be loved, not necessarily needed as I don't do that well at all. I am grateful that I seem to be well liked and know many love me ... so I want to see our very good friends happy also. My friend and I are very similar yet very different.

I met my girl friend in July 1985 and have stayed friends. There have been times when she has been very involved in being a Mum when we haven't had much contact but even after almost a year of not talking we can phone and talk for hours. Now with the children grown we have had time again to enjoy our friendship.

I have had very few girl friends in my life. I had friends who were girls but none that were my bosom buddy until I was almost thirty. This lady was a friend of my younger brothers but we became good friends but she was a good time friend and was absent when my life turned to shit. We reunited for a few years but again parted. Friends come into your life for a short time or a long time, each for a reason.

I was used to dealing with life on my own feeling more like a live in slave than a family member; cooked, washed, cleaned for family and had a bedroom off the kitchen at the other end of the house from the rest of the family. I learnt to be tough and hide behind the ever increasing wall of protection. Naturally the anger and frustration would emerge at inappropriate times.

I loved and lost a few partners, some serious, some not so. I had not intended to have another live in relationship but when our eyes met I had no choice .... 'at last I have found you' were the words that entered both our heads. Apart from illness forcing one of us to hospital plus once nursing my Mum and once him visiting his Mum we have not spent time apart. Twenty four hours a day, every day.

What a hard transition it has been from a total loner to sharing my private space and that is one thing Peter is no good with at all ie giving people their private space. Our relationship was rejected by both his and my families; it mattered not for our love was all we needed. My family did come to the wedding and Mum and Marjorie Mum were very happy. Marjorie Mum accepted Peter and loved him like a son and Mummy came to love the same because he made me happy. Mummy has lost most memories now and Marjorie Mum has continued on her spirit journey.

We have endured a home invasion by a non paying customer who was offended by refusal of more credit. She sent her thug, junkie boyfriend around and he with his steel capped boots and young healthy body beat Peter almost to death. He also assaulted me when I tried to push him off Peter; he just flung me across the yard. Peter's injuries list was extensive. He spent five days in intensive care and had only just survived the ambulance trip to the closest hospital that could treat such an injured person. The doctor had not time for anaesthetic, local or otherwise, having to cut into Peter's chest to insert a tube into his punctured lung. The necessary rushed surgery has left scars which cause him a lot of pain now. He has never recovered having had two vertebrae broken plus he had to have his remaining teeth removed as the nerves had been damaged when was kicked in the jaw, breaking it and so slowly died off. He has different vision from each of his eyes after having had his eye socket broken which means having to wear glasses. The result of the injuries meant an increase in pain medications which have their own long term negative health impacts. His greatest loss was his ability to do anything he chose to do. He was a physical person who had to learn to be less mobile. It has been a very hard journey with him losing his mind for some time. The doctors wanted to lock him up in a hospital but I knew he would never recover if they did that. We continue to heal. The physical injuries were minor compared with the psychological.

amazing fungi

Lillian Rock from our back yard

some random comments:

Introvert or extrovert.- I am a real introvert ie I recharge by being alone; I get worn out by being with people. There are not many real introverts eventhough many feel they are. They still need to spend time with people; I do not. I could live without talking to another person - a hermit. I could never live without animals.

Community - Our small village is the hub for a greater community. Although we are spread out in the hills surrounding the village we often come together at various event. Many feel strongly about helping and supporting those who are most troubled. There are many here who have been beaten up by society and have found Nimbin an oasis. We still have our sad times as we have had recently. I am sure many feel a little failure for not being able to save a man who chose to take his own life. I have experienced too much suicide in my lifetime. I am a supporter of euthanasia. Suicide to me is selfish but I am not in their mind and thus cannot and should not judge. I am sure my feeling comes from personal loss - grandfather, father, two good friends. Yes you can see how they cannot cope and cannot find peace and yes, I can understand how death seems to be the only option, free of the pain. I still could not do it to those I know care even if I was and have been at the depths of despair.

It is society's failure to be able to incorporate those who do not fit in the mould. We are and have always been ostracised from society even if we endeavour to fit in, we still stand out. We don't want to stand out we just want to be able to have our own beliefs. 

some of the stalls at Blue Knob Farmers Market - rain, hail or shine

wonderful food fresh from the farmer

The farmers market is a wonderful place to meet friends, talk to like minded people, listen to some musicians and get the best clean food straight from the farm.

access available to all

safe for children with fun activities