New Turns no Twists, yet.
Well, if you know me at all you will know that I can sometimes spin on a dime and change direction in a second. Living close to me can give a person whiplash. But life is like that, we keep moving and evolving and devolving and exploring and sometimes disappearing completely, only to reappear a few pounds heavier but in apparent good health, somewhere totally different.
Social media and to a large extent the blog world is for sharing but also for tracking, it enables us to keep tabs on each other ( I imagine a person with itchy sticky note tabs all over her body, each note with a name and a string attached). And sometimes this makes us dive for cover.
So for those of you who need an update on me: (and God knows I would not mind one myself)
I am back from my travels to New Zealand and Australia. Visiting my sons and my daughter and the children after this dreadful isolation period was a blessing to the spirit! It was a long visit and normalized again my relationships at home. I carried my Janies Mill work with me so I could continue my customer care remotely so it really was a busy time, which was great.
Obviously I have no problems living out of a suitcase though after twenty odd years of traveling I am still the worlds worst packer. I try so hard to pack light and punky and just end up without any of the clothes I really need.
Now me and my suitcase are parked again and I am staying with Third Son in California – he is having a few family troubles and needs his Mum. I will be dropping back out to the farm again soon to reconnect with Our John and The Matriarch then out to see Elder Son in Canada – he needs his Mum too. It does not matter how old we are sometimes we need our Mum.
Janie’s Mill and I have come to a gentle fork in the road and I am moving in a different direction from them now – all very amicable and civilized- but the other night (and my Mum has been dead since I was in my early 20’’s remember) I longed for her hand on my head. She always had such cooling hands. I just needed my Mum to tell me to stop moping, I made my decision now get on with it, to ‘buck up’ ( her favorite saying) and get busy again. She could not abide sulky children.
As to the farm. John is making hay and feeding up his two beef cows surrounded by a self propagating flock of badly behaved chickens. He has two of his adult children close by now so he has lots of help. Though the farm is dead quiet compared to what it was. He still collects restaurant scraps and Tima and Wai are still dining out on watermelon and tomatoes. But I have not been out there in almost four months. So my farm update is sketchy.
At some point soon I will need to get another job. Air fares are not getting any cheaper! Though my nomad nanny keyless lifestyle is quite cheap as long as I am not anywhere long enough to go shopping on Amazon.
Here is todays’s picture. We are a long way from the sea here in Visalia, California.
How about you all? I would love to hear from you!
Take care and talk soon. Talk now. I am so sorry to have been gone so long!
Cecilia
63 Comments on “New Turns no Twists, yet.”
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thekitchensgarden 
It’s great to hear from you Cecilia – you have been missed!
I have been gone so long that WordPress has new features now!! How are things with you?
Ha ha – I wish WP would leave things alone – they have overcomplicated and alienated the casual user.
Things are good here at present, but it has been a very difficult year so far.
Oh no, I hope things get simpler soon.
I hope your mom heart was filled to brimming down under and now feeling complete doing your mom duty in California.
I greatly admire your spirit adventure.
With a sick husband I’m stuck in Canada and as of yet have not seen my only grandchild in Townsville (soon moving to Brisbane). It’s life.
In the meantime I’ll live vicariously through you.
Welcome to our Canada soon.
Diana
Oh no. Is he still sick? That is hard. Well I hope you get a chance to take a break soon and jog over to Aussie.
Welcome back stateside! It must be hard having children scattered all over the globe! All of mine are tucked into our house at the moment thanks to Covid, and I’m not complaining. It’s great to hear from you!
Oh – that would be amazing to have everyone in the same house – but knowing my family it might be explosive after a while!!
So happy you are back! I’ve missed you. Life is a hoot, don’t you think?
?
I could not agree More!!!
So great to hear from you in blog format again! I have loved seeing snippets of your journey on IG. Glad you have had the chance to reconnect with your brood. Looking forward to seeing what your next adventure will be!
So am I, frankly. But I will enjoy a week off first!
Like others, I’m glad to see an update from you. I have thought of you often while you have been gone, especially when New Zealand covid numbers went up. I was so glad you were already there. I live very close to my only child, my daughter Elisabeth, who turned 50!! on July 4. I’m glad you are able to get around to all your children for a visit and to help for a bit. Good luck with your continuing travels and your next work adventure.
Hi Juliana. The cases did rise for a while there in NZ but all the ones I heard of were mild thank goodness. People are pretty up to date on their shots over there.
What an amazing trip you have been on. So glad you have spent lots of quality time with your New Zealand based families.Hope all goes well when you drop into the farmy. Look forward to an update! Have missed the animals’ adventures. Hope things go well with Job searching and Canada trip. Andy
The farm is so quiet now. – I have not been to Canada in the summer for a long time so I look forward to that!
Welcome back! You’ve been missed. I was thinking about you a couple of days ago and wondering if all was well, but somehow afraid to ask in case of, well, maybe the pivot turning into a too-rapid spin… I’m so happy to hear that you seem to be feeling a bit more centred, your family got a much needed dose of Mum and you were able to check up on your chicks. I have been watching on YouTube a homesteader who has kune kunes, and their roly poly antics gave me a small dose of Tima, whom I’ve missed. When you have your feet solidly back in the dirt, a more detailed Farmy photo-blog would be lovely.
I look forward to seeing Tima too! I hope John has not fed her too much!
❤️
I looked up your blog this morning and saw snow. Then I saw your update on FB! So glad you’re “back!” I’m glad you’re seeing all your family. You needed that.
Yes I did. I was feeling stretched right to the limit there for a while!
After a three year separation, youngest son, his wife, and two grandchildren are here visiting with us. Life is good.
Oh ! Fantastic!! That is good news. I bet you are enjoying their stay.
Absolutely!
The main thing is to remember to take care of yourself along with your lovely children. Good to hear your moving and changing we all need that sometimes.
I agree. And now I can travel to see them there us just no stopping me.
We have friends who just relocated from here to give equal opportunity to their other offspring and grandchild. Me? I secretly wanted my kids to venture out to different parts of the world so I would have an excuse to visit. Yet all live within a short drive away. It is, of course, what their momma thrives upon so she can see them often. Enjoy the time.
Thanks to other forms of social media I’ve been trotting along with you as happens with the Insta community sharing snippets of its days as we keep each other company in our various ways and places. Quite a few from our what seems to be our long ago blogging community who have over time become old and real friends. It took a year but the G.O. and I have managed to catch up here and there with most of our families separated by distance but moreso lately also by Covid. Meanwhile life goes on usual at home here in the village, and is all-in-all pretty good.
Sounds lovely. And I so enjoy the idea of us all trotting alongside each other now and then / having a catch up. !!
So wonderful that you can finally reconnect with your kids Celi! They absolutely need their Mum, no matter how old they are!!! All is well here on Jack and Diane’s Little Ditty Farm. Only I am becoming quite grouchy as I am desperate to travel again. As others in the Fellowship have said, it has been great going to New Zealand and Australia with you. I have loved the glimpses on the oceans!!! Looking forward to going with you wherever you roam! 🙂
Could not believe my eyes when I saw your post in my box just now . . . at least a few mysteries of the last quiet months disentangled . . . so glad to hear from you ! Feel an utter idiot at not having looked for you on Instagram – my favourite stomping-ground these days . . . Glad to have caught up somewhat and hoping to travel closer to you as these complicated days and months pass . . . best as you travel, stay well and fulfilled !
Thank you Eha! Nice to hear from you. Life is a journey after all and so we will journey on!
*soft smile* As so oft before it is not what you say that is important but what you leave us to work out . . . . . . am glad I can see much fulfilment ahead . . . and there has to be a book slowly gathering pages surely . . . 🙂 !
It’s been wonderful to follow you on Instagram so I know just how special your time back on home turf was. You have been/are such an advocate for the mill. How strange not to be a part of that – probably for both sides, but clearly you know what you need moving forward. Please, a few farmy pictures when you arrive back and before heading north to the son. I’ve missed the animals, even though the major players have changed so much over the years.
I certainly will. I miss them too! Thank you, Deb! !
We always need our Mums 💕
I visited mine for far too short a time a couple of weeks ago, and it somehow made me miss her more.
It’s been chilly here in North Queensland and my teenagers “allowed” me to make them warm milo and tuck them into warm beds the last few nights. It warmed my heart in a way nothing else has in a while … so my lesson has been that we Mums need our babies as much as they need us.
Travel safe Celi, it’s always wonderful to see you in my emails 💕
That is the sweetest story. It is so easy for kids to warm their mothers hearts. Even the grown up ones. I hope they don’t just remember us for the things we get wrong!
Thank you for the update. I was afraid things had changed in such ways that omitted my ability to follow.
Your writing has such perspective. Wisdom. Your photography delights me. I’m glad we fit in your suitcase. Keep on Miss C.
Hey Kim! I am so glad we are still connected!!
Wonderful to hear from you. Looking forward to your next post.
Thank you! Yes! Now that I am on a hiatus between jobs I will be baking and posting! That should keep me out of trouble!
Cool !
Glad to see you back. It is calming.
That is just the most wonderful comment. Thank you.
Thanks for the catching up on you and your large family. Take Care!
You too lovely!!
Hi Cecilia! Glad to hear you’re enjoying your travels. I’m afraid to ask–but have to all the same–how are Boo and TonTon?
Boo is a couch potato and TonTon who is now very old and quite deaf is living with John’s daughter who has come back to the area. They are both being happily doggy!
Hello you!!!!!!! I’m happy you’re back if you’re happy your back. Just want the best for you! x (Can’t wait to see what becomes the post Janie’s Mill work!)
I am happy to be back. For sure.
Are the ducks still quacking about the farm
For a mother, children are always children. Beautiful places. Yes, we should live every day, enjoy and travel.
Thank you Emma!!
I’m glad you’ve been able to reconnect with your children and grandchildren. Your son and his children are so fortunate to have to there to help out! I’ve enjoyed following your journey via your Instagram posts. My mom and I will be visiting her farm in mid August, staying nearby and catching up with friends there. No matter how long I’ve lived in Texas, I still miss the farm.
I am so glad that your mum gets to come back with you so often. She wrote once that she missed the skies. Which I thought was lovely as so many people don’t even look up!
We just returned from our winter sojourn in Spain, normally taken from February to March, this year rescheduled from April to May. Just being the end of May (oh, how time flies). We missed all the spring blooms so I’m definitely not travelling in May again. Our friends Paul & T (originally from Illinois, now from Arizona) came for a visit while we were in Spain. They’ll be visiting us in Toronto in August to escape the heat of Arizona. We’re thinking of visiting them in November but it will depend on the status of Covid. Glad you’ve been able to see your children, it must be difficult to be so far from them. Drop us a line if you pass through Toronto, the airport is only 30 minutes from our house.
I Would love to pass through Toronto but I fly straight to Calgary. Spain must have been wonderful – you know I have never been!
Thank you for the update. I have been keeping up on Instagram but it is nice to see large photos on the blog. Yes, a Mum’s voice is always welcomed. I have mine in my head and heart here. And Dad saying “now baby”…. My work frustrations/stress has him talking to me often “Now Baby, its a good wage don’t walk out” 😉
I’m sorry to see you and the mill are parting ways. I know it was very rewarding and the timing with COVID was perfect. See you in the www. Pat
Yes! I was in the right place at the right time for them during covid but it is so much quieter now and all the teams are working beautifully – time for me to seek new challenges.
Love the footprint pix
We love following your tale.
Can’t wait to see the next adventure – each of the past ones will somehow dovetail and fold into the next. Smiles sent and onward
Yes! They all do!! Life is like a river really!
I was thinking of you the other day. I really miss your comments. They were the first ones I read every day.
That is great! I will be around quite a bit until I find a new job!