Return of glee

As you might have guessed by my silence the past few days, it's been hard to summon up any glee while the devastation of the bushfires still unfolds in Victoria.

It feels wrong to be focusing on your own happiness while others are suffering so much. But walking home today, with the smell of smoke in my nostrils, it occurred to me it's even worse to be alive and not revel in it.

So while I'm still shocked and saddened at the loss of life and the destruction, the glee spotting must go on.

Lilies

I bought myself another bunch of Oriental lilies today. I'm looking forward to them opening up and filling my flat with their sweet aroma.

The flatmate saga

My new flatmate, Anna, moves in this weekend. Although I'll miss living on my own, I'm also feeling positive about having someone else around the place. (Oh, I have reluctantly decided against dropping back to a four-day week. When I thought about what my mum would say - that I should save the extra $100 a week, especially in these uncertain economic times - I realised it was too fanciful a plan. But one day...)

Swan lake

On the way home tonight I stopped in at the Botanic Gardens to watch the smoke-shrouded sun sinking in the sky, its golden rays reflecting off the Ornamental Lake. There was hardly anyone around, just ducks waddling over the grass feeding on insects. Then I spotted them - cygnets! Three of them, swimming in single file after their mother on the lake.

After missing out on seeing the babies of the swans that nested by the Yarra River boatsheds last year, I'm happy I got to see these ones. They are so fluffy and cute!

A sombre 100th post

This is my 100th post, but I'm not feeling in a celebratory mood. As many of you know, Victoria, the state of Australia I live in, has been and continues to be ravaged by bushfires. A staggering 131 people have died and there is no doubt the toll will rise.

It's the worst natural disaster in Australia's history. Whole towns have been wiped off the map, hundreds of thousands of hectares of land is blackened, and thousands of people are homeless and traumatised. It's shocking, gruesome and heartbreaking...and it's far from over.

I normally write about the simple pleasures that add the texture to life, but at times like this, it's impossible not to reflect on the big picture and and to be grateful for the things that really matter - being alive and well, having people to love, being safe and secure and having a roof over your head.

My heart goes out to all those people who have lost their loved ones, their homes, their communities and livelihoods.

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Of course I am also very pleased you have all continued to drop in to read my ramblings and share your own gleeful moments. Thank you.