soaking up beauty

There’s something about soaking up beauty that does it for me. 

• It re-balances and re-sets perspectives. 
• It replenishes the soul.  
• It makes me sort of expand on the inside.  
• It’s like therapy.

 Beauty can be ‘soaked up’ via various means

Tasting (Probably did too much of this one):

• Tasting beverages and foods like Yahava Koffee, wines, and the Fremantle pub that serves paddles of beer tasters
• Laughing about the heat in the chilli food which made our mouths burn like hell in Fremantle

Kindness:

• Receiving kindness from friends who accommodated us, met with us and gave time for us
• Good conversation with good friends who love and accept us
• Meeting up with friends from years earlier who are delightful and fun to be with

Visually:

• Whales at Cape Naturaliste, WA
• Wildflowers en masse which are a sort of understated wild but fragile beauty
• Black Boys (Grass Trees) which are everywhere in WA
• Identifying birds and animals I haven’t seen before – moaning frogs, splendid wrens, emu wrens, and a dirty great big tiger snake I nearly stepped on!

Enjoyment:

• Appreciating the little extras that are provided to make our stay in our accommodation more enjoyable like complimentary fudges, candles, DVDs, CDs, good coffee
• Taking advantage of the beautifully laid out boardwalking tracks along the coast in Albany, WA

I have to get more of this into my life – this kind of beauty.  Soaking up beauty via various means is therapy for my soul.  Some of  this beauty was soaked up unexpectedly in unplanned ways, while others was planned for.  Both are good – so just bring it on.

We arrived home yesterday to a happy cat and bad smell in the ensuite (something about the pipes drying out).  The garden has grown.  The lawn needs mowing.  We have a mountain of washing to do and an urgent need to go grocery shopping.  Work is looming on Monday….

So although we know that life is not realistically a long holiday, in short spurts holidays certainly balance out the routine of working life, bring a window of joy and add beauty (and kilos) to your life in the most enjoyable way.

Thank you Mark and Gayeleen for your kindness, friendship and hospitality.  Thanks to Kerrie and Warrick for your fun company.  Thanks to Kaye and the whole Sinclair clan for that great dinner out at the Red Cray.  Thanks to Henk for meeting us on the last night.  You guys have added spice and beauty to our lives in fantastic ways!