Now I'm in the era of digital photos it is harder than ever to keep these seven year segments brief!
So photos and brief comments will have to do for this segment.
2009
Northland Holiday - what a beautiful part of our country. We were blessed with equally beautiful weather!
I took up Nordic Walking for exercise. It was well worth participating in a series of eight classes to get the correct technique.
After ten years in our house it was in need of some maintenance on the fascia and soffits (new vocabulary to learn!).
My work in spiritual direction and supervision continued. Ministry opportunities in Anglican training courses and SGM programmes were also a regular part of life in these years.
I enjoyed a newly established book club with people from our church. We read a book each month and met to discuss it. In November we choose books for the following year. It was a great time of in-depth discussion on books I might never have come across otherwise. I've always been an avid reader and this group also developed closer relationships with the other group members. It was my version of a nourishing "home group"!
The first retreat with Cynthia Bourgeault was also a very richly nourishing experience. This first retreat was based on her first book on Centering Prayer. Since then I have benefitted from all Cynthia's books and several more retreats.
Then another wonderful holiday with my friend of many years - Marg Schrader. We enjoyed a week on The Sunshine Coast of Queensland.
As I've got older I have become more and more passionate about issues of social justice and have tried to play a small part in organisations that support change. Attending peace walks or peaceful protests was not a part of my upbringing but joining marches is a physical reminder that my presence adds to the corporate message. It is a tangible way of "walking the talk".
In 2010 there were several significant birthdays. My friend Barb Hooper turned 60. Barb had a serious stroke many years earlier and has limited ability to speak. A wonderful party for her included a totally silent performance of drumming. We all participated with not a single word spoken by the stage group.
I turned 65. Gold Card age! I asked family and friends not to give me any presents but to buy a "Gift of Hope" or a "Good Gift" from one of the many organisations that promote this practice.
Another friend, Aynsley, turned 70 the same year. She organised a Kayaking trip from Puhoi to Wenderholm and invited some of us to join her. It was a delightful way to share in showing that 70 isn't too old to enjoy a new physical adventure!
The final special birthday was Anthea's mother turning 100! A lovely afternoon tea was arranged at Cedar Manor rest home where she lived.
I turned 65. Gold Card age! I asked family and friends not to give me any presents but to buy a "Gift of Hope" or a "Good Gift" from one of the many organisations that promote this practice.
I was delighted to receive dozens of cards signifying such gifts.
Another friend, Aynsley, turned 70 the same year. She organised a Kayaking trip from Puhoi to Wenderholm and invited some of us to join her. It was a delightful way to share in showing that 70 isn't too old to enjoy a new physical adventure!
The final special birthday was Anthea's mother turning 100! A lovely afternoon tea was arranged at Cedar Manor rest home where she lived.
Also in 2010 I was able to attend another SDI conference. This time it was in San Francisco where I met one of my heroes in the faith, Brother David Steindl-Rast. After the SDI conference I joined some others of us for a retreat at The Mercy Centre retreat house in Burlingame
2010 and 2011 Saw some tragic events in NZ. In November 2010 the Pike River mine exploded killing 29 men. Then in 2011 a major earthquake devastated Christchurch killing 185 people.
These events were a sobering reminder that we never know what any day will bring.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
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| Golden Gate Bridge |
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| Brother David with his friend and 'minder' Anthony Chavez |
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| Labyrinth at Mercy Centre |
2010 and 2011 Saw some tragic events in NZ. In November 2010 the Pike River mine exploded killing 29 men. Then in 2011 a major earthquake devastated Christchurch killing 185 people.
These events were a sobering reminder that we never know what any day will bring.
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time.” Romans 8:22
2011 was a year of overseas friends coming to visit.
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| Ruth and Dawn from Brisbane |
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| With Maureen and Sandra from England |
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| Carla at our place for Christmas |
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| Anthea at lookout on our Coromandel holiday. |
In June 2011 I began this Blog! Interesting now to look back at what I posted then.
2012
In June 2012 Anthea turned 60. We didn't do very well with many photos!
In November I spent three week in Chiang Mai, Thailand at Seven Fountains retreat centre. This was a wonderful time of reconnecting with David Townsend who had been my director on the 30 day retreat in Wales in 1988. He is now part of the team at Seven Fountains.
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| With Fr.David Townsend. |
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| Being a tourist! |
2012 was also the year both my older siblings celebrated 50 years of marriage! A wonderful milestone and a tribute to the stable loving families they were brought up in and continue for their own children and grandchildren.
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| L-R Marty, Merrie, Sheila, Carla, Gwenyth, Peter. |
2013
Writing a chapter on my faith journey for a book to be published in May 2014.
I called my chapter: Concentric Circles of Faith.
More holidays, more inspiring conferences and rich opportunities to deepen and expand my faith. What rich and privileged life I have lived. I've been re-reading my own Blog posts for 2013. There are 60 posts!
More holidays:
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| Beautiful Adelaide - holiday with Helena |
Melbourne turned on rain every single day! A lot of time spent in the city!
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The privilege of attending a conference in Auckland with Ilia Delio - an amazing scientist and theologian
Ilia Delio - an amazing scientist and theologian.
“God is … the future who holds open in the present moment
the radical possibilities of love.”
Ilia Delio The Unbearable Wholeness of Being
2014 - 63 Posts for this year! Probably the most significant event of the year was deciding to sell our house in Torbay. After five Open Homes and not selling at auction - we sold the following day to exactly the right couple. We had enjoyed15 very happy years in this house and location.
At the end of October we moved to our next much loved house and location in Orewa.
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| 43 Chesterfield Way |
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| The lake behind our house. |
2015 - 75 Posts for this year so I won't attempt a summary. I'll end this very long post with a short poem from my journal in February 2015:
peeling bark reveals
a smooth new surface ready
to be written on
allow bark to peel
from all the old life layers
smooth freshness awaits
That's appropriate not only for the transition to a new home and location but also to this particular Blog Post. In the Caravan of Selves episodes I now need to wait until I reach 77 years of age to write the next chapter. That will occur in in 2022. So watch this space! I may add other "normal" Posts between now and then - who knows!
