to be a leaf…

I have started a blog post at least three times since the most recent one a few weeks ago. No sooner do I get one almost ready to publish than my thoughts and life take an unexpected turn. I honestly can’t remember a time when things were moving so fast for so long. We are nearly settled into a nearly predictable routine and then suddenly we’re not.

I keep recalling Pema Chödrön’s words from my last post “You are the sky, everything else is just weather”. As life goes, last week felt like a storm. My long awaited MRI was postponed for two more weeks, the Home Care representative came to see me about what assistance we might need now and in future and strongly suggested he thought I should wear a ‘fall monitor’ since Don travels or is sometimes away for hours. I fell twice last year, but didn’t injure myself either time. My credit card was compromised for the second time in a month and I had to cancel it. Don had his usual three weekly chemo treatment and while he was at hospital our WiFi modem died. It  turned out to be a faulty one and was replaced but took us a full 24 hours to get things back on track, during which time we got almost nothing else done. And somehow I managed to chip a tooth!! Bad weather? It was even raining most of the week.

This week things are back on track with a positive vibe. So quick, write while things are stable! I read somewhere during the week one must just keep moving through the stormy times and eventually you will see the sun again.

Allison is in Singapore meeting her new work colleagues and securing an apartment and will return to Sydney for a few days to sell her car and hand back the keys to her apartment and return to Singapore to begin work on July 1.

Don is feeling better, but tired, after his 5th treatment. Early results are promising but he has 30 treatments to go. We are cautiously optimistic.

I continue to try and adjust to my body’s changes and observe and learn as I go, how to be patient and try new ways to do things. It’s no good being cranky and frustrated and missing all the good things in life that happen every day…like sunrises and sunsets from our balcony. I have changed clothing styles and sizes, stopped wearing most makeup, bought new cutlery that I can use more easily, found items to serve as ‘tools’ in the kitchen, particularly when trying to open things like ring top cans! Typing emails and blogs take a lot longer than they used to, but I’m not ready to give them up yet.

It is autumn and the wind has been blowing leaves around. A few days ago a couple of blocks into my walk a palm sized Plane Tree (Sycamore) leaf blew onto the front of my shoulder and stuck there like it wanted to tell me something. I reached up and gently held it and said “Hi there”. It made me smile, not least at myself talking to a leaf, but troubles gone for the moment. I felt light as that leaf being gently carried away in the breeze.

14 responses to “to be a leaf…”

  1. It is past 9pm on my birthday as I write this. Funny day – not many pretty parcels awaited or received . . . but such a lot of wonderful things happening, special letters a’comin’, good news . . . so many friends around the world sending good wishes, music, stories of special happenings . . . and about half-a-dozen news messages, yours amongst them . . . had been wondering. Life is as it is. Love the fact that you have such beautiful views to look on when other matters may go bump in the night. Glad there is some practical help forthcoming – I live in a serviced studio in the Village as I can barely use my arms with the rotor cuff, but one has to find new ways to ‘do’ and to be satisfied. I can only keyboard downwards but absolutely refuse to give up . . . it is my way, and a very lively way, out 🙂 ! Good to see you walking and there is absolutely nought wrong with talking to a leaf ‘befriending’ one . . . it makes one smile . . . and methinks the smiles do good . . . hope you feel like letting us know again how things progress . . . would truly like to know . . .

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    1. Happy Birthday Eha. Sending you best wishes ♡

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    2. Who needs pretty parcels when you have friends! Belated wishes for a Happy Birthday Eha. 🤗☺️

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      1. Thanks a million . . . and it REALLY was great to catch up with you! Apologies for the double-send . . . living where and how I do at the moment leads to a to a ‘few problems’ shall we politely say! Am thinking of you both 🙂 !

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      2. No problem Eha ❤️

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  2. Just lost a comment – hope you will not get two to bore you! Am keyboarding late on my birthday, very pleased to have received some news from you – have thought and worried. Life is as it is . . . my inoperable rotor cuff also limits what I can do and how I can live. Love the fact that you are much closer to help now and have such an indescribable view to all around. Frustrations – we seem to share quite a few . . . complaining will not help . . . finding ‘clever’ ways to cope may bring a smile of satisfaction. Actually, I may not have had a table-load of gift parcels today but a day full of messages from all around, some of them hugely smile- and happiness-making actually may have been a better option . . . loved your leaf story and hope to receive further ones not months apart . . . best to your darling husband counting down his treatments . . . those too will pass . . . bestest . . .

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  3. You certainly have a vantage point from which to view the weather literally and figuratively.
    I’m pleased you weathered your week of challenging weather and wrote your post with it in the rear view mirror.
    I don’t think, I know how we experience life speeds up as we slow down, and every thing does take longer.
    Still, there is time enough.
    Giving up is not an option as long as we can come up with a workaround.
    Your encounter with the leaf is wonderful, I have lots of onesided conversations that aren’t with people… why not talk to a leaf… thank you for sharing it and your other news.
    Best wishes to you & Don ♡

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    1. Thank you for the nice comment Dale. It’s been a good week so far. 😉

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  4. Your pictures of different skies and great. You are experiencing a lot of “weather”!!

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    1. Thanks Emma, we hope the weather is manageable for a while 😉

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  5. Lovely piece that I identify with on so many levels…. Oh and I’ve been known to talk to an occasional leaf my self over the years. As always, thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank you Donna 🤗

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  6. Wonderful views from your apartment! Your “hi there” to the leaf makes me think about a book I’ve just finished called “The Light Eaters” by Zoë Schlanger. It’s about the current research on the idea of plant communication — plants to other plants as well as plants to animals. Scientists are even studying how plants process information and make decisions, and whether they have their own forms of vision and hearing. I found it all so fascinating. Who knows, maybe your leaf knew you needed that little plant hug!

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    1. Thanks Kim, I’ll have a look for “The Light Eaters”. I read “The Hidden Life of Trees”(Peter Wohlleben) about 6 years ago and it was amazing. I believe everything has ‘energy’ even if we can’t see or understand how it works. I sense things and many times I learn from the sensations. Haha, I love that the leaf might have been giving me a hug ❤️

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About Me

I’m Ardys, the creator and author behind this blog. I’ve found great joy in the unexpected and tiny things in life, as well as some big ones…and in between is where I’ve learned my lessons. I like to write, take photos and paint and I hope it resonates with you.