TEXAS, AGEING, BELIEF, NEW ZEALAND and SERANDIPITY some topics I shall be looking at on this blog!

(green font for past - blue font for present)

So we are starting today's look into my past in Christchurch New Zealand. I had left the hotel that I had originally booked into and checked into a modest motel with cooking facilities. It was a really a confusing and vulnerable time, my plans cast to the wind, yet honestly I can still remember the absolute faith I had that things would work out. 

Looking back, I now find it really amazing that I could do that! That is what is so important for me to impart to you, it may seem incredible what people do, but when it happened to me, there was no question I wasn't going to do it. I mean, sell my home, give my things away, set off into the unknown at fifty five, but it was a done deal as far as I was concerned.

I think sometimes when we look at what other people have done, we can think, "I would never do that," and sometimes we wouldn't, but that doesn't mean to say that if an opportunity arises, or a belief in something you want to do arises, that it can't be done. 

People say listen to your gut, well your gut is your solar plexus, and this is the call centre to receive guidance from God and his universe, or from whatever you believe connects you to something other than another human being, other worldly...

I applied and received my visa, I could stay for a year, so I began looking for a place to rent. I responded to an advert and went for an interview and was thrilled when they told me it was mine! It was a downstairs flat, two bedrooms miniscule kitchen and lounge/diner, but it was within walking distance of Christchurch, which was fantastic.

So, before long I was ensconced in my new home, it had no central heating but did have a portable gas heater, the owners said I could refill the cannister at the garage at the top of the road, which was about a fifteen minute walk. So when it ran out I was presented with the task of getting the cannister to the garage, it would be too heavy for me to carry so what to do? 

When I walked onto the garage forecourt, and went to the pumps, I couldn't help giggling to myself imagining what the person at the checkout would be thinking I was doing. There I was, without a car, going to the pumps, pulling a suitcase! Yes, my brainwave had been to put the cannister in the suitcase to take it to the garage, and it worked out perfectly.

I decided that I needed to get out so decided to join a local gym, I am not an exercise fanatic but thought this would be a good thing for me to do. So one day I decided to go on the exercise machine where it looks like you are in a rowing boat, grabbing hold of the handles I began to heave on them pulling myself back and forth, the seat rattling around under me. 

I looked at the girl next to me, who was working as hard as I was, and said, "Are you Oxford or Cambridge" and laughed. To my astonishment she replied, with an English accent and said, "Cambridge of course." 

The boat race is a yearly time honoured tradition in England, the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford battle along the Thames, rowing their hearts out to be the champion.

"Oh your English," I spluttered.
"Yes, my name is Terry, pleased to meet you.:"

And so synchronicity kicked in once again, and I found a friend I still treasure today.

So back to present day. As you can see we are living in Texas, yeehah, just loving it. I may repeat myself, but...we adored our time in Lake Charles and when Alex was laid off in 2017 we were very sad to leave. 
We kept saying how we would love to return to Louisiana, but two years went by, and then a phone call asking Alex if he was interested in a position in Texas.

Needless to say he said yes and in a matter of weeks he was off to begin his new job. I had to wait, as being English I had to apply for a dependents visa, which meant going to the embassy in Calgary. When this was all done, Alex came home and we packed up a trailer and set off back down to Texas. Five days driving, and unfortunately in the most dreadful snow and ice conditions, I don't think my buttocks unclenched till we reached the Texas warmth 😅

I was so excited to be back and loved our apartment from the moment I stepped into it. 

So the first thing I did was to find a highly recommended hairdresser, I am not into shoes, or even clothes but MY HAIR oh boy that has to be right. So found a hairdresser, and... well I'll leave what happened till next time we talk.

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies, I know we will, my lovely husband is sleeping as I type, he has a very long day, and I am a night owl, chat soon, take care.

Bess

SCARLETINA NEWS... Perfect Children's books for Christmas, if you are looking for a fun stories full of adventure, but along with the adventure and fun reading you want to reach children in a powerful yet gentle way that brings up topics like bullying, self worth, repercussions, love, friendship, loyalty, trust and faith., these books are for you. 

These adventures capture the hearts and minds of the reader/listener, honestly I have sold them from the ages of 3-95 lol ... magic isn't just for the young it seems. More than anything I want children to know that all things merit respect, not deserve, but merit respect. All things can teach us something. All things have their own energies, which we don't understand, but we can respect. 

Your children will grow through reading these books, which are set in an English woodland, so lots of well researched flora and fauna for them to look at. The final book, the Sun Circle, is set in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where I spent two blissful years.  I decided that that last book of the trilogy, had to be set in the bayou's of Louisiana.  I will have given children from around the world an insight into the magical ecological world of England, and a glimpse into the unique life of the flora and fauna of the bayou....

You can get these amazing stories from all bookstores : 
SCARLETINA'S QUEST FOR FAIRY WINGS... THE EARTH CIRCLE ISBN 978-1-4602-5095-2
SCARKETINA'S QUEST FOR FAIRY WINGS... THE MOON CIRCLE  ISBN 978-1-5255-4415-6

My email is besssherret@gmail.com and if you want a signed and dedicated book/s I am more than happy to do that, however you will have to page postage., thank you.

LOVING TEXAS!
Further update from our new home in the USA. Life has turned full circle, as my last post was from Louisiana, 1st December 2015, and here we are in Texas and 12th November 2019, and I felt the call to begin writing again.
I am going to continue with my journey for you, interspersed with present happenings I think they might interest you 😊and I think I will differentiate between the two with colour! So the past I will write in bold green and the present in bold blue.

So I am going to begin my story, in New Zealand, where I went to, having left Tasmania as my visa limit had been reached. This decision had been somewhat forced on me, as during my visit to Christchurch I had been advised at the Australian airport that I would not be allowed back into Tasmania because my visa was finished! 

As you can imagine I was totally shocked by this news, I thought I had another three months, but this was not the case. On arriving in Christchurch I booked into the hotel and began calling friends in Tasmania to advise them that I would not be returning. Little did I know that this traumatic event would be the start of something unbelievable, God and the universe knew what they were doing.

Thankfully I had booked into the hotel for a week, so that gave me time to collect my thoughts and decide what to do, and I decided to stay in New Zealand, I wasn't ready to return to England, it just didn't feel it was the right thing to do. 

Looking back this was probably the best way it could have happened, it was a brutal but clean break, 

So, here I was in a new country, a new city to explore, friends to make, but it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Leaving Tasmania the way I did, left me feeling somewhat rudderless, I fought to remain positive and trust that God and his universe were still guiding me, but I have to admit sometimes I did plummet to the depths of...why was this happening?

My friends in Tasmania were amazing, cleaning my house, donating my furniture, finding homes for my cats, which unbelievably I knew would happen; but here again is the magic of God. One went back to a mutual friend, the other three were put back into a rescue centre. I was devastated for them, that is where they had come from. I had hoped to rehome them prior to my leaving, but...a couple of days after I arrived I phoned the rescue centre to tell them I would be sending a donation to them, and was told that much to everyone's amazement, as this had never happened before, all three cats had been rehomed together. Apparently this couple came in, read what had happened (this was posted on their cages) and said they couldn't separate them, they would take all three! 

It was then I remembered something,; I had been doing automatic writing for some time, connecting with my Guardian angel and just typing on my computer, what came through, sometimes it made sense other times I felt I was writing my own thoughts. In the March I had written that there would be many tears, but my cats would be okay.
This was now July, and I had forgotten about it, but on recall remembered how puzzled I had been, and had dismissed it as my own fears manifesting, but no, it was so right, I had shed many tears and my much loved cats were good.

So folks here I was in New Zealand, looking for accommodation, little did I know what amazing things were in store for me...

Okay so we are bold blue, present day...we are now living in Texas, my husband was offered a job here which we were thrilled to accept, yay... Once again getting used to people saying, "I just love your accent" lol, being British it does stand out 😆 loving the friendliness and approachability of everyone, never had so many hugs from strangers💖 

We feel so blessed to be here, to begin another chapter in our lives. This is another aspect I want to bring in to my blog, I am, next month, 73, my age doesn't' define me, my body does sometimes lol,  but my heart beats as strong as it did when I was eighteen. I have experienced how age is something to be honoured yet not curtailed by. Will write again soon, thank you for checking in...

Bess xoxoxox

FOR SOME REASON I NEVER POSTED THIS, IT WAS STILL IN THE DRAFT SECTION, SO AM GOING TO DO THAT TODAY, AS IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY TIME IN TASMANIA.

I am by nature quite a reserved person when it comes to personal details, however I realise that I wanted to share with you some of the fun times I had, whilst living in Tasmania. I lived for just over two years in Tasmania, and made treasured friends, two came to Canada last year.

Another friend sadly passed over whilst I was there, she had a huge impact on my life, an older lady, Nancy. They cut the mold with Nancy, 80+ spunky, defiant to the end, and I loved her.

We shared many many fun times together, she could be irascible, but oh she was never dull!

She would be so happy to see me now, with a man I love and who loves me, for who I am, warts and all!  She had experienced that kind of relationship, a special love to be treasured and appreciated.

I learnt so much from her, and I will always remember, with a smile on my lips, the precious times I shared with her. Despite our difference in age, we were mates, who laughed together, shared together and really enjoyed each other’s company. 

My friendship with Jackie, the psychic I had met, and her husband had blossomed.  Jackie and I had become bosom buddies, she was just the kind of female friend we ladies need, and we shared many an evening together, after her husband went to bed, sipping wine as the sun set.

Was there any 'love' interest for me?  Hm - well of course, lol.

Well when I say of course...let us get something straight...I had been married once and had only known one man, so we aren't talking super experienced lady here folks. I was happy living the solo life, discovering who I now was, and I believe, experiencing this, was one of the main reasons I was guided to Tasmania. 

Eventually I met Dudley, we were introduced through a mutual friend and sparks flew from our first meeting! Sparks of the sexual kind! We had a wonderfully fulfilling and fun time for a couple of months. An interlude for two people who had been alone for some time, it was full of frolics, champagne and the total abandonment of who I had been. But the sparks started to fizzle out, and we parted company; but I had so much to be thankful for, and I know we both benefited in so many ways from our time together.

I am only sharing this very personal part of my life with you because there are many bruised, scared and anxious folks who have been, or still are in the same situation I was in. Alone after a long relationship, perhaps who married young and have no other sexual experience except from your partner.

Suddenly you are having to look at yourself in a new light, and one that is often laden with criticism or self-doubt. It can be so easy to convince yourself that you are unattractive, that no-one could possibly be interested in you. I felt just like that, I had never believed I was attractive, so self-doubt was deeply embedded in my psyche.

So when this very attractive man came into my life, I had a choice, go for it, let go of who I had been, or thought I had been, and embrace, in more ways than one, the potential that life was offering me. I took that chance and it made such a huge difference to me.

Dudley made me feel attractive, beautiful, desired; we had such a good time together, but it wasn't meant to last. He was brought along to torpedo me out of the comfortable and safe zone I had cocooned myself in, and begin to live again, to shed the past like a snake sheds it skin.

I will always be so thankful that I said yes to this emotional challenge, to being vulnerable and yes to the step that began my journey to meeting the man who fills my life every day, with absolute love and joy. But way more to tell you before we get to that.

Life in Tasmania had its own routine, in the summer, on a sit on mower, it would take me two hours to cut the grass, praying that I wouldn’t run into any snakes!

I loved the open spaces that filled every view from my home, I got used to the nighttime visitors and noises. I even helped the owner of my house by driving a tractor in his organic vineyard; he needed to put the nets over the grapes to protect them from the birds. Mind you if I had known how long I would be doing it, and the effort needed to keep the clutch down,  I might not have been so keen to do it.