CABG surgery minus one day

This afternoon at 2 p.m. I’m being admitted to hospital. Currently my world’s small. Focused in on myself. Which isn’t something I relish. But I suppose in the circumstances it’s inevitable. Beyond my solipsism, today’s Mother’s Day in Australia. So I’m especially thinking of my own mum, and the nearest and dearest mums to me. Not least Sweetheart Vivienne – who’s one of the best. Today’s also the first post Bin Laden Sunday. I can’t help but think our little planet’s a tad better off for that fact. Otherwise all else continues: football matches, political intrigue, celebrity worship, global warming, and more. Including the federal budget next Tuesday evening. But for me, it’s hospital. Speaking of which, I know that while hospitals are necessary institutions, it’s best to be a patient in one for as short a time as possible. Which is my aim in the days ahead. I don’t know when my next Farmdoc’s Blog post will go up. Hopefully soon. Stay tuned, folks.

A perfect day: a woman, a mountain, and a cup of tea

Occasionally one comes along: A day much better than average. Perfect. Or close to it. Yesterday was one such day. Naturally Sweetheart Vivienne and I spent it together. For without her one of those days’d be impossible. After a leisurely porridge breakfast we set out for Cradle Mountain – 80 km to Mole Creek’s west [1]. But first we packed warm clothing – beanies, gloves, scarves – as the forecast maximum temperature was 5°C. Nothofagus gunnii – Tasmania’s only deciduous native plant [2] – puts on a vivid autumn display (pictured), and yesterday we aimed to view its 2010 performance. We walked for two hours, savouring each moment. One way from Dove Lake car park to Ronny Creek past Crater Falls. There were some ups and downs, of course. It was aerobic at times, but nothing overly strenuous. The Nothofagus was, at a guess, 7-10 days past its prime. Disappointing? Not at all. At Ronny Creek, awaiting the shuttlebus, we ate leftover roast chicken and potato from Friday’s dinner. It was scrumptious. But as Sweetheart Vivienne often says, all food tastes delicious out there. After the shuttlebus dropped us at the transit terminal, we each savoured a mid afternoon hot drink: She a skinny latte; me (given this [3]) a cup of tea. Then, replete with this and our nature deficit disorder antidote, we headed home. After a day like that, life’s okay. Calm. Mellow. Balanced. Thank you Cradle Mountain; and Sweetheart Vivienne.

P.S. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers today. (I hope I placed the apostrophe correctly.)

farmdoc's blog post number 385

Today’s Mother’s Day. A day for honouring mothers. Here are some of my thoughts about Mother’s Day 2009:

      This is the 14th Mother’s Day since I’ve been able to honour my mother by personally thanking her for being my Mum. I miss her as much as if she’d died yesterday.

The first Mother’s Day without a mother physically present, is the hardest. I wish I could hug Sweetheart Vivienne today. And comfort her. But we’re 500km from each other.

Sweetheart Vivienne has been, and is, a superb mother to our four darling daughters. I never cease to marvel at how superb.

The proof of the pudding’s in the eating. Take one look at, or spend one moment with, darling Indigo and Jarrah and Pepper; and you’ll know how good a mother darling Kate is. I doubt they come any better. She has wonderful role models, but I think in addition she’s a wonderful mother instinctively.

It’s a delight for me to see darling Meg mothering darling Zephyr. In our family there’s no precedent for what she’s doing, so she’s breaking new ground. Last Friday she wrote: ‘I still feel like his parent for all seven days, just as I'm sure his mum does’.

Darling Emily and her feline housemate D’Angelo? I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing them together. But I’ll bet a fair bit of mothering’s going on there.

I don’t know why Mother’s Day, like other commemorative days, has to involve gift buying and giving. Materialism and commercialism don’t need to intrude. And shouldn’t.

And I don’t know why it’s Mother’s Day rather than Mothers’ Day. For this is a day to honour all mothers. Today belongs to them all.