ouch

oh my aching legs. yesterday i went for a walk called (i think) the manuka trail, out on the way towards kawhia. it involved a lot of going downhill, then a bit of flat walking, then a pretty big climb. the bush was lovely, and we stopped by a pretty stream as well. then we drove to ocean's beach, which was really lovely but also involved a pretty steep climb both to get to and to leave the beach. it wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't just done the other walk, but as it is, i struggled.

it was worth it though. the beach is beautiful, not too calm but not very strong waves. quite different to raglan, where we go more often. i love to swim in the sea, i love the waves and the sounds and smells. i can't really persuade myself to go to public pools because they just seem to unhygenic. but the sea is something else.

i remember one summer we spent in perth, and travelled along the coast to stay at a beach somewhere (it's a few years ago now, so the names escape my mind). the beaches of western australia are also gorgeous, but the most fun would be catching the sunsetting across the ocean. it has to be one of the most spectacular visual sights in the world, with the colours of the sky reflected in the water, and the burning red ball slipping slowly down behind the horizon.

we didn't stay long enough yesterday to catch the sunset, but it's something i'd like to do soon. in the meantime, i've not managed to do anything much today because my legs are so sore. i've been reading the 19th wife by david ebershoff, which is really quite good & provides a really good background into mormon history. i had to google brigham young, and found out quite a few interesting things. the whole polygamy thing, as described in the book, is quite horrific particularly as it relates to the forced marriages of young girls. ugh.

i've finished the margaret attwood book, which turned out not to be so bad, but i found it really depressing. maybe because it brought back some not so nice memories of bullying at school, not nearly as harsh as what she wrote about, but still it was familiar in the sense that it was the non-violent, under-the-radar, constant digs that over time are really destructive.

this will probably be my last post for this week, as i have other things on. hope the holidays are going well for you, though i'm thinking of anne else who has just lost her husband, and others who are also suffering loss at this time. i hope things get better for you soon.