The Lovo and the Ladder

Frangipani.....a lot of the trees were damaged in Hurricane Winston 18 months ago and are only now recovering.

Daily produce 

from the farm  - including these 'lipstick' hibiscus leaves - 

for the kitchen.

I hope the tomatoes from these little tomato seedlings we transplanted will one day find their way to the kitchen too.

Precious honey and its comb from natural hives in the  'zoo 'garden which we bottled one afternoon.

 And another afternoon we helped to feed this very friendly and intelligent local pig who is called Just Marilyn  who is part of the 'zoo' - the birds and animals looked after by my brother's partner. She takes care her so beautifully with just the right amount of fruit and vegetable cuttings and peels. I loved stroking her  back - her fur is incredibly long and thick and wiry.

One evening we were very honoured to be invited to a 'Lovo" in the local village hall - a celebration for the workers on the farm and their families.

They had spent all day cooking huge amounts of food,

 garlic bread, fried fish and 3 different chicken dishes, rice and a stuffed spinach roll as well as their staple starch, cassava,  and a white root called dalo which is very starchy and tasteless although they also eat the leaves which are like spinach. I was astonished at the size of the platefuls they were eating - we asked for small helpings but even so I couldn't do it justice.

It was a joint effort with the ashram  -  some of the women devotees made trays of chocolate brownies and apple crumble for dessert.....here being cut up by the wives of the farm workers.

After the meal and a slide show - including some of our family photos - as they were very interested to find out about our brother's life in England - we watched a video - Wonderwoman!

The kids loved the fighting bits and talked most of the way through it....but no-one minded and I loved watching them tuck into  the bucket of popcorn also provided by the devotees. It felt a real privilege to  meet these people and to have a tiny glimpse of life in a Fijian village.

Pink frangipani .....I wish you could smell its perfume...

Today

I loved being up the ladder in my apple tree...having to balance on the rungs and decide how prudent  it was to reach out to the biggest and reddest apples on the very ends of the top branches....some I managed to pluck - with my heart in my mouth -  and some were just a stretch too far and reluctantly I had to leave them for the birds. But I did listen to the voice in my head which said Enough now.

I know it's silly to climb a ladder if you live on your own......I know you are supposed to take your phone with you (I forgot)...but I could hear my neighbour next door in the garden if I did fall....I could call out....

I suppose I have to choose the risks I take....I don't feel ready yet to step out too far beyond my safe zone into unknown territory  - like what to do now with my life  - as my internal world is still so wobbly. But I can make sure the ladder is very stable before I step even onto the first rung.