Amazing Week!

What an amazing week it's been - and it's not over yet!

Last Sunday I picked my daughter up from work and we set off for Sydney, 6 hours away.  Our first real stop was to visit friends who live on 30 acres near Canberra, as I hadn't had the chance to connect with them for AGES.  While my daughter contented herself communing with their dog and the many donkeys they own (she's a huge animal lover) we had the chance to share coffee, cake and generally catch up on goings-on.  SUCH a boon - I adore my friends - they're so open and giving and loving and welcoming.  It put a huge smile on both of our faces for the rest of the trip.  Evening saw us arrive at my mother's house and catching up with family, again, it's been WAY too long since we've seen them all and I was overjoyed that we'd be spending the week with them.

Monday saw me commence my day job working from my mother's dining room table.  I started a couple of hours earlier than I usually do so that I had more time to spend with them that evening, and all was fantastic.

Tuesday I did the same and then my daughter and I set off for the southern suburbs where she had an appointment with a new Endocrinologist.  For those of you who aren't aware, my daughter suffers from Type 1 diabetes, Asperger's Syndrome and a few other minor ailments which makes it a little more difficult to be as rigorous with diabetes as necessary.  It's been having a huge impact on both of our lives for quite some time, resulting in huge amounts of time spent in hospital for her.  She's one of the most stoic people I know and often downplays the impact of things on her life, but I know she longs to live life in the same manner that others do.  The Dr was awesome - supportive, optimistic for the future and positive without engendering false hope and laying out exactly what she needs to do in order to be eligible for an Insulin pump, her Learner's permit and being able to fully volunteer with the SES again.    We both came out of there feeling so much lighter and positive and Ast with a renewed sense of purpose and capability as far as control of her diabetes is concerned.  Dr Thornley you're my hero!

Tuesday evening saw me going out to dinner with a man whom I knew in passing many years ago and have recently had the opportunity to connect with.  He is totally, absolutely charming and dinner was something I thoroughly enjoyed.  We went for coffee afterwards and I think I got home about 2am.  We have plans to catch up again, something I am very much looking forward to. 

After collapsing into bed and grabbing as much sleep as I could, I started work early again on Wednesday for my Canberra boss, then took off down south again to my Sydney boss's place.  We then went for lunch at the Royal Motor Yacht Club and indulged in lobster mornay and the spectacular view.  I was supposed to visit a friend in Newcastle last night but by the time I got onto the M5 to come home traffic had built up and I wouldn't have arrived there until midnight, so took a raincheck with my beautiful, understanding friend and spent the night relaxing again with my family.

Tonight again I am meant to meet up with another girlfriend in town but given that we need to drive home tomorrow and the rain has set in I've postponed because I think I planned just a *little* too much this time around.  Given that we'll be back up again soon for another appointment for my daughter, there's plenty of time. 

Home tomorrow.  I hope it's raining all the way down the coast.  My plants will drink it all up and grow big and strong and beautiful so that I can paint them.  It will be good if it stops and everything dries out by Saturday morning though, as I have to get on with trimming the rest of my driveway!  It's majorly overgrown and soon my car won't fit up it unless it gets a good haircut.  To rain, sunshine and the amazingly beautiful rainbow of life and communing with friends, family and humanity in general!

(Pictures to come later!)