Today as I was pulling out a particularly pernicious and persistent patch of binderweed (which you all by now know is the bane of my gardening existence) the words from 59th Street Bridge Song came tripping into my head ... life I love you, all is groovy. Haha, it seemd ironic, as I was trying to KILL as much binderweed as DEAD as I possibly could at the time. But then more lyrics came into my mind ... Slow down, you move too fast ... you’ve got to make the morning last ... and there was another timely message. Time is speeding up as I prepare to go back to Ho Chi Minh City. So many things not accomplished ... I never got to Stratford, Toronto, Ann Arbor, or the Detroit Institute of Art ... all of which were on my agenda. So many people still to see. So much of my garden still untended. Appointments unmade or unkept. Various things unkempt:-) But I still got to see and do plenty and so there is much to be grateful for ... even if it wasn’t quite enough.
Errol and I had a lovely visit with old friends Betty and Stephen in Goderich last weekend. Errol and I used to work at Homestead Group Home years and years ago when we lived in our little log cabin in the woods by the lake. Long ago and far away. So it was very nice to reconnect with them. Errol and Steve had gone down to West Virginia together last fall to visit our friend, Patrick, but I hadn’t seen Betty and Stephen for two years. They have a large property that is part therapeutic treatment centre and part hobby farm ... and if I think my garden is a lot of work, well I need look no further than Homestead to know what work really is! And it was great to see the kennels, the stable, the chickens, the art and play therapy facilities, and the biggest attraction of all ... pregnant ewes and baby lambs. 
Before heading off to Goderich, I had just finished reading ‘The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd’ by Mary Rose O'Reilley. She discusses at some length the challenges of raising sheep, especially keeping some of the babies alive. It is an interesting book and her descriptions of being at the Buddhist centre in Plum Village in France were quite interesting ... especially those relating to Western/Vietnamese interaction/communication.
So food for thought as I begin to prepare physically and psychologically for Vietnam. I hope all my stuff will fit into my suitcase and that it is not too late to get a decent seat on the plane(s). While the weather here is beautiful (today) I understand it is incredibly hot and there are frequent power outages in Ho Chi Minh City(although perhaps not in D7 so far). A new job awaits and I do hope I have made a wise decision there. And I hope I am not leaving too much of a mess for Errol and Cait to clean up. Worryworting to the end ... it is what I do, no? I hope this finds youall very well and ready for a wonderful summer ... seems strange to have my holiday over already :-(. But best wishes for great hiking, canoeing, theatre-going, vacationing, travelling, working, playing, parenting, relationship-building, journeying, adventuring ... living! Life I love you, all is groovy ... even if I do have deeds to do and promises to keep. 
Errol and I had a lovely visit with old friends Betty and Stephen in Goderich last weekend. Errol and I used to work at Homestead Group Home years and years ago when we lived in our little log cabin in the woods by the lake. Long ago and far away. So it was very nice to reconnect with them. Errol and Steve had gone down to West Virginia together last fall to visit our friend, Patrick, but I hadn’t seen Betty and Stephen for two years. They have a large property that is part therapeutic treatment centre and part hobby farm ... and if I think my garden is a lot of work, well I need look no further than Homestead to know what work really is! And it was great to see the kennels, the stable, the chickens, the art and play therapy facilities, and the biggest attraction of all ... pregnant ewes and baby lambs. Before heading off to Goderich, I had just finished reading ‘The Barn at the End of the World: The Apprenticeship of a Quaker, Buddhist Shepherd’ by Mary Rose O'Reilley. She discusses at some length the challenges of raising sheep, especially keeping some of the babies alive. It is an interesting book and her descriptions of being at the Buddhist centre in Plum Village in France were quite interesting ... especially those relating to Western/Vietnamese interaction/communication.So food for thought as I begin to prepare physically and psychologically for Vietnam. I hope all my stuff will fit into my suitcase and that it is not too late to get a decent seat on the plane(s). While the weather here is beautiful (today) I understand it is incredibly hot and there are frequent power outages in Ho Chi Minh City(although perhaps not in D7 so far). A new job awaits and I do hope I have made a wise decision there. And I hope I am not leaving too much of a mess for Errol and Cait to clean up. Worryworting to the end ... it is what I do, no? I hope this finds youall very well and ready for a wonderful summer ... seems strange to have my holiday over already :-(. But best wishes for great hiking, canoeing, theatre-going, vacationing, travelling, working, playing, parenting, relationship-building, journeying, adventuring ... living! Life I love you, all is groovy ... even if I do have deeds to do and promises to keep. 
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