Australia · autumn · blessings · daughter · family · grandson · Mount Warning · new beginnings · Tweed Valley

Misty Morning ~ and An Announcement!

First, the formalities. We had another gorgeous misty-morning view of the valley and mountain today …

Now to the announcement –

Introducing the newest addition to my family! ❤ My eldest daughter gave birth to a 10lb. 3oz. baby boy on Tuesday morning, a baby brother to two-year-old Aurora. Baby is well, and his parents and big sister are absolutely besotted.

His name hasn’t been decided on yet, so he is currently known as “baby boy”. Only one name remains on the original list of possibles, but another name was added yesterday for consideration. Needless to say, I am totally in love with this gorgeous little man. ❤

Australia · clouds · family · Mount Warning · rain · spring · subtropical weather · Tweed Valley

Getting used to a new normal …

Being a creature of habit, today has felt a tad odd. I didn’t have to spend hours sitting at my desk, and I didn’t read or write a single word of academic writing.

Every time a semester ends, I’m happy it’s over because I need the rest! But last night, my dreams were filled with assignment writing. I need to get used to a new normal, again.

Knowing I missed seeing my family, all of my kids visited today. At one stage I had my four-year-old grandson, two-year-old granddaughter, and two-month-old grandson all sitting with me. Not far away on the next couch sat my 22 week pregnant daughter-in-law. And it was wonderful!

We finally had some rain today, not much, but enough to give the garden a good watering. I’m looking forward to spending more time in the garden now uni is over until next February.

Today’s photos, as you will see, are taken “where-Mount-Warning-should-be”! The cloud is so low that I haven’t seen the mountain all day, but I love the rich blueness of the ranges, and their blue reflections in the clouds. 🙂

birds · blessings · grand-baby one · new beginnings · photography · winter

Up in the Clouds.

up in the clouds
Up in the Clouds

Drizzling rain has hung around on and off during the past couple of weeks here, and as it turned out, the drizzle was simply a rehearsal for the main performance. The unannounced showtime took place yesterday with a number of bedraggled birds taking their seats in the front row.

You may remember the view of a gentle sunset over Mount Warning that I showed you a couple of weeks ago, a “Wordless Wednesday” post. To fully appreciate the amount of cloud surrounding my home yesterday, take a quick look at the contrasting view in the link, to the one above….

Awaiting the main event.
Awaiting the main event.

Way down the back garden I noticed a kookaburra, sitting in the bare branches of the pecan nut tree.

Larry Arrives.
Larry Arrives.

The wet kookaburra in the distance turned out to be a cold Larry, who waited patiently while I took photos of him, fluffing up his feathers to look his best, before flying to the veranda for his breakfast. He’s been visiting me for so long now, and seems to know the routine ~ food for a photo.

The Currawong's Return.
The Currawong’s Return.

At nesting time, many of the old regulars return to the area, including a family of Currawongs. They are timid birds, watch the veranda from a distance, and fly away to the safety of a far away tree if I venture outdoors when they are in the garden.

My "regular" friend, Mrs. Magpie.
My “regular” friend, Mr. Magpie.

My regulars, a pair of magpies, are nesting nearby right now, just as they have done for the last few years. I can hand feed these two, and I suspect that I may have known them when they were tiny babies, brought to my garden by their parents, for a safe haven and an easy feed, between lessons on worm-catching.

Noisy Miner.
Noisy Miner.

Never far from the magpies are a flock of Noisy Miners. Watching the various birds flitting around my garden over the years has taught me that Noisy Miners are the protectors of the Magpie Family. I always know where to find one of my cats in the garden, as that’s where the miners will be kicking up a ruckus. And during summer, when we have Channel Billed Cuckoos in the area (they fly over to Australia from Papua New Guinea about mid spring,) the Noisy Miners help the Magpies attack the Cuckoos. It’s such a sad sight, knowing that the cuckoos, if they manage to get to the nests of the Magpies and Currawongs, will remove the eggs and newly hatched baby birds from the nests and lay their own eggs. We found three dead, featherless baby birds around our garden last year, and as a result we had no baby magpies in our area. That’s the sad side of nature. 😦

Larry and Shilo.
Larry and Shilo, posing, and waiting for food.

I had to go out shopping during the morning, regardless of the weather, and I left my home amid the rain absolutely bucketing it down! We are having a baby shower here on Saturday morning, and thankfully the weather forecast is looking a tad more promising for today and tomorrow, cloudy, with patches of sunshine. So far, the forecast is accurate.

Little Forlorn Bird.
Little Forlorn Bird.

I love the expressions on the faces of the Noisy Miners! Even on a beautiful sunny day, they have the most forlorn little faces. I watched this little fellow, above, for some time, as he ducked under the shelter of large leaves, stayed there momentarily, then ducked back out again. I wondered, did he expect the rain to suddenly stop?

As I mentioned before, we are having a baby shower here on Saturday morning, so today I am spending some time pre-preparing food for the party. In case you missed the news, my first grand-baby is due in November, and my soon to be daughter-in-law is now over her morning sickness, looking beautiful, and becoming more excited every day by all of the upcoming events. First of all the baby shower, the wedding in September, and the baby due in November, it’s a very exciting year for both families. 🙂

And for an update on our baby, I hope that Mary won’t mind that I “stole” a lovely photo of her that she posted on Facebook which she told me her sister had taken one day when they drove down to Murwillumbah, one fine-weather day. Mary is standing near some sugar cane fields, looking very pregnant and just lovely.

Beautiful mama-to-be.
Beautiful mama-to-be.

Happy days, filled with blessings. ❤

 

 

A Sense of Spirit · blessings · Changes · gratitude · happiness

I must be old enough.

???????????????????????????????My four children mean the world to me. That’s one of the most consistent things I have noticed among my blogging friends too, we all adore our “babies”. They grow up to adulthood, remaining our babies, but they never fully understanding the depth and strength of the love we have in our hearts for them. They don’t realise the lengths we would go to either, to make sure they are happy. If there is anything we can do for them, we are there. No questions asked. We would move mountains for the children we love so dearly.

Over the years of my parenthood, I have occasionally attempted to explain to my offspring exactly how I feel about them, always failing to do so successfully, and ending by telling them that when they have a child of their own, then they will understand. That’s when they will feel how my love for them feels.

I often hear of parents, when their children reach a certain age, pressuring their children with questions of when, exactly, will they be made a grandparent. I have never subscribed to this form of questioning. To my way of thinking, it hints slightly toward emotional blackmail. I want, with every ounce of mother-love in me, for my grandchildren to come along when their parents are ready for their arrival. Not when I am ready.

Before my first child was conceived, I had a little spirit child visiting me. I heard his laughter, and could smell the sweet scent of baby in my home. I knew this dear little soul had chosen me to be his mother, and when he was only a few months old, and I heard his laughter, the same laughter I had heard “before”, it confirmed for me what my heart already knew.

During the busyness of life in the ensuing years, as I have happily worn the label of Mum of Four, my instincts have, many, many times, fallen by the way-side. I haven’t stayed in tune as much with my intuition. It has only been in more recent years, as my children have grown, that I have begun again to trust those instincts, remembering the little “hunches”, heeding the words and sounds that arrive in my mind, unannounced, (like the beautiful laughter of my first child,) and noticing, and really paying attention, to the images of what is to come.

For some time now, when asked if I have any grandchildren, my standing response has been, “I’m too young to be a grandmother”, and I believe with all my heart that my statement is the truth. Only when my children decide for themselves to have a child of their own, will I be old enough.

But a few months ago, something happened. An image, which I can only liken to the laughter I once heard over thirty years ago, appeared in my mind. Two little girls, twins, with curly blond hair.

One day in particular, when walking around some land with two of my children, where one of them intends building a home of their own, I looked at a large tree, with a solid branch extending out of one side, and saw, in my minds-eye, an image of my grandchildren, laughing, and playing on a swing, which had been attached to the tree branch.

That same day, my husband was at home, gardening. And he was puzzled. He felt that there was a child with him, helping in the garden. And when he told me he didn’t know who it was, that he didn’t know of any children in the spirit world, without hesitation I told him that it was our grandchild. And he understood. It felt right.

And we suspected that there is more than one little spirit child, making their choices. A new generation is being planned.

That all happened last year. Nothing further eventuated, until a few weeks ago. As I sat at my sewing machine, meditating, as I do whilst sewing, (I don’t know how else to describe the wanderings of my mind as I sew!) I began to plan what I would make for the baby, for Christmas….meaning this Christmas….could it be….???

….and a few days later, during an emotional announcement, I had occasion to tell my child to prepare their heart for the most overwhelming, unconditional love that they could ever in their lifetime expect to feel, when they see their own child, for the first time, in November.

So, I guess I must now be old enough. 🙂

It’s still early days. An ultra-sound, tomorrow, will give the estimated due date of the little walnut sized being, who has chosen us, our family, my child, to live through a lifetime with. It will also establish whether there is just one, or two little walnuts developing.

With complete certainty, I can tell you that this little baby (or babies) is/are loved, unconditionally, completely, already. Other grandma, much younger than me, is thrilled to bits at the news as well, as are all the great, and great-great grandparents! Aunties and uncles are beaming, cousins are excited. This baby will be born into one great big bubble of love.

This baby has chosen their parents well. 🙂

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update ~ I wrote the above yesterday. The ultrasound has confirmed one baby, with a due date of November 23rd.

More to follow….much more.