January...Getting in the Rythmn

It always takes a while for me at the beginning of a new year to find a happy, peaceful rhythm. The days leading up to Christmas are often full of hope and expectation and Christmas itself is a busy and emotional time regularly leaving me feeling exhausted and dysfunctional.

But this morning I am sitting in my favourite spot under the 'she oaks' at the top of the beach. The sun is glittering on the water and I can hear the sound of children splashing and playing in the 'Bogey Hole' just around the rocks from where I'm sitting. At the edge of the rocks a man is fishing and for the sake of fitness and wellbeing people are walking purposefully up and down the beach attending to their morning exercise ritual.

At home in my new temporary studio in Steve's 'man cave' a new landscape is beginning to take shape on the easel and various of my completed works are on his workbench in the process of being framed. We have been working companionably side by side in his space all weekend.

My studio is being temporarily converted into a living space for our little family, Scott, Karin, Lea and Mei who are returning to Australia from Japan to live here on the South Coast. Yay!! Our little half Japanese granddaughters will begin their primary school education here at our local primary school.

Ashleigh has made her home with us. At first she came to stay to avoid the risk of COVID but has fallen in love with our beautiful little corner of the world and now plans to stay. She has found so many wonderful aspects to this community, primarily the opportunity to work 3 days a week and is finding the support that she needs to live an independent life. Her goal is to move into her own unit and live as independently as she did in Sydney...but not quite yet.

So our home will soon be 'Packed to the Rafters" and it will be wonderful, fulfilling, turbulent, interesting and definitely a very different year ahead but I don't think that I will be finding a 'peaceful rhythm' anytime soon.