Hi Friends,
2023 has flown past, with both of us happily busy - but very few photos, as we generally stayed close to home.
Janet came from New Zealand to spend a week before Christmas camping with us in the Bunya Mountains, then Christmas with Bob's family at their farm near Toogoolawah, then back home for the New year.
Our only camping trip as a family was to Springbrook National Park in March while Joyce attended a 2 day silent meditation retreat. We were joined by Zac, 28 year old autistic and musical friend of Joyce's who has since moved in with us since he could not find other accommodation in the Sunshine Coast nearer his family. The move has been successful for us all, and we are enjoying having him live with us.
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| Natural Bridge near Springbrook We enjoyed a visit from Joyce's brother Alan and his wife Linda from Calgary in early April, and were able to include a visit to a very special spot near Maleny - the a large sculpture by Andy Goldworth located in the middle of the rainforest a couple km walk from the nearest road. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okpsgcG2MzE - an extraordinary, and moving granite sculpture costing about $500,000!! We have been watching the fig tree - or rather several generations of fig trees on top of the sculpture struggling to grow through some very dry periods - and finally looking like the still small surviving tree might survive and even grow its roots over the sculpture as originally enivisioned - if we don't have the very hot, dry summer which has been predicted!!  |
Bob's energies this year have gone mainly into the Butterfly House (still) when they decided they wanted to grow food for the caterpillars on site - and the most effective way would be to raise the existing pot plants onto metal shelves, and build a hydroponic system on a low shelf under them. This has taken a massive amount of designing and construction, mainly by Bob so far, as volunteers are still difficult to access.
And Joyce has kept busy with her involvement in 2 meditation groups - one based in the Labyrinth at the Art Centre, which is now celebrating its 7th birthday. She has also managed to fit in a couple of camping trips with friends, and a 8 week - one night a week choir in Brisbane, Birralee Recycled which gave both the enjoyment of singing with a large group with an excellent conductor and accompanist, and the chance to visit several friends in Brisbane, and some adventures by bicycle en route to the choir. Continuing minor health issues led to some serious thinking about the importance of focusing on quality and not quantity of life - and now that a first version of thinking about this complex issue are in writing - she is happy to relax more, and just let the future unfold, confident that she can make appropriate decisions when necessary. See https://quality-not-quantity-of-life.blogspot.com/2023/09/quality-not-quantity-of-life-sept-2023.html if you are interested in exploring these ideas further.
I have just discovered some talks and podcasts featuring Ian McGilchrist, an English philosopher, who shares some very intriguing and exciting thoughts that help explain mankind's current dilemmas in a useful and positive manner. Ian proposes that humanities' behavior can be explained by the interaction of our left and right brains - and that we currently have lost contact with the much more nuanced and sensitive right brains. You might enjoy exploring some of Ian's work for more thoughts on the way we use our brains affects how we view our world, and consequently how our whole world is unfolding.
A couple examples are:
The Brain, the Sacred and the Soul - Iain McGilchrist and Thomas Steininger of Evolve - YouTube Well worth a watch!!
The End Approaches
Is this a misguided refusal to believe mankind is omnipotent and that we can
live forever as individuals and as a civilisation while destroying our
environment...
Or a simple statement of our current predicament?
A realistic evaluation of the now rapidly evolving results of our refusal to
protect and cherish our environment.
Our separation from nature will soon destroy us all.
How can we respond to the looming death of our life support, and hence us,
and our civilisation?
By shutting our eyes and hoping it won’t happen?
Or by living fully and openly for our remaining time be it days, weeks, months
or possibly even years,
Celebrating the mystery and beauty of life
Cherishing the wonder of each day
Rejoicing with gratitude in all we have.
Which do you choose to do?
Remembering that what we see as endings are also new beginnings,
both for ourselves, and for the earth.
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