Good things come to those who wait….

What an evocative image of waiting – hold the thistle in the wind – remain patient as each seed is tugged away.

Waiting for the new lover I’m ready to welcome into my arms, who will he be?

from flickr creative commons – bluemist57 – “waiting for the right moment on black” accessed 20090924

Learning the Tango

I was grateful that my friend James gave me my first Tango lesson last night. I’m going to my first class on Friday and don’t wish to make a complete fool of myself!

Like all male/female set dances I have extreme difficulty being lead, I’m not able to relax or trust enough to let go. This is what I will have to do to learn Tango. Every Saturday morning my masseur admonishes me to “Let go”!

Don’t think my hip flexors will ever be able to get me down this far!!!!!

from flickr creative commons accessed 20090921

Swimming at Richmond

Ah the Richmond Pool is wonderful. 50m long, clean and MOST importantly the correct temperature for lap swimmers! Most importantly we need to KEEP TO THE LEFT in the lane!

The sculpture below caught my imagination from images of swimming in flickr Creative Commons.

from flickr creative commons – kevenlaw – accessed 20090921

Walking training

from Christopher McGreal – flickr creative commons accessed 20090921

A friend and I are going on a four day walk in the Victorian alps this summer. We are doing the luxury version of a bushwalk. We’ll will stay in the alpine village of Dinner Plain and go out walking every day. I’m very much looking forward to the walk on the Razorback up to Mt Feathertop.

We plan to train every Sunday. Our first walk took us along the Yarra River, through the Botanic Gardens, back along St Kilda Rd to the city. Yesterday we walked around Albert Park Lake. It was further than last week but we did it in the same time, a sign of improving fitness.

In between our weekly training walks we do our own thing, last Friday I walked to work for the first time. I will do it again as it only took half an hour.

haiku for possibility

intense communication
caution, push down
hope of love

Henry Moore sculpture Darlington Gardens.
Image by terry.1953 accessed flickr creative commons 20090917

haiku for myself

Downward/Upward Spiral

woman emerges

becomes sun graced

moon blessed

from flickr creative commons, by liber accessed 20090110

Down the steel tube and back

Alas depression struck again in early July. I was “in denial” about the early warning signs and only got onto medication in late July. Wracked by suicidal thoughts and not caring about myself for about 6 weeks. When I talked to my Dad about jumping off the Westgate Bridge his droll response was “But what if you changed your mind half way down?” Indeed.

Luckily for me one anti depressant is very effective, after taking it for 6 weeks, I literally switched from feeling 80% well to normal overnight last Friday. Under my treating doctor’s instructions I immediately started to reduce the medication so that I’m not tipped over into mania. So far so good.

Poor health

I developed a sinus infection at the beginning of June, took one course of antibiotics and it seemed to clear up. despite the positive tone of my previous post, it snuck back on 7 July, with avengence plus fever than resulted in the most lurid dreams about work!!!!  The Westerm doctor prescribed a different antibiotic, paracetamol, rest. Saw a Chinese doctor for a second opinion, he diagnosed  heat from the stomach and prescribed a mixture of 17 herbs with water, 3 times a day and cupping on my back to clear my lungs.

I looked back through this blog and found the last time I have been struck by a virus was in September 2008. Sucumbing to a virus has been much earlier this winter.

Outlook for health finally looking positive

Reflexology from Thomas, massage from Simon, Chinese linament, rest and antibiotics all contribute to me feeling better than I have since I sprained my ankle at the start of June. I swam at 70% maximum effort last week, did manage to include some butterfly and feel confident that I can get back on my bike today.

Thank you Mr Price, you’ve done it again!

[from flickr creative commons by nisa - accessed 20 June 09]

What a delicious lunch I had with “The Ballet Mother’s” today.

Gary Price of Mr Price’s Foodstore, 502 Queensberry St, Nth Melbourne excels once again with slow cooking. My braised lamb with red wine sauce was gorgeously tender and the flourless chocolate walnut cake to die for – crisp on the outside and chewy & moist on the inside.

And so end my 53rd birthday celebrations, four weeks after my actual birthday!