It was Olga's idea to have tai ch'i in the garden and so we now have it every Sunday morning at 8am. We are learning the graceful moves of this ancient chinese dance that my grandmother tried to pass down to me. Except when I learned it all those years ago, I couldn't quite get up early enough in the morning for my Por Por's liking.
I think its better than ballet.
Our teacher, Ann, says the sound of rushing water of the creek nearby compliments our moves which are flowing like water well, meant to be. We stroke the horse's mane and spread our cranes wings.
I haven't told mum what I get up to on Sundays. Church is bad enough but she probably wouldn't like that I am sneaking off to the garden and learning chinese moves from someone who isn't chinese. After the rain when my crystal gels swelled up like sago balls mum grew ballistic and said what if the chickens eat them? I countered 'are the chickens that dumb?' and she couldn't say anything. She also got rid of my plaque that said 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord'. I think she didn't like the cross. Well its missing, and things were moved around when I came back from church.
I didn't say anything. I don't want to start another battle. I will just find a new one.
Apparently this came about because I had removed a Garfield cookie jar that she bought me years ago that no longer held any cookies. It was in the kitchen and she didn't like it anyway. So not knowing what to do with it I put it in the garden. She said she didn't like it in the garden so I packed it up and gave it to the Hospice shop along with some other ceramic ornaments that were given to me. (I do not, as a rule, collect bric a brac). She asked where I had put it but I said I had given it away, and wouldn't tell her where.
So, not being able to buy it back where it would be useless anyway, I think she tried to destroy my garden.
I'm not sure I can go on with this any longer.
On a brighter note, I got accepted into Certificate of Landscape Design, so am going to start that this month. I know, what can you do with School Certificate? Well. I didn't learn this in school so I'm going back to learn anyway. If by chance the economy ever makes it easy to make a decent living again, at least I will have a useful skill besides.
I watched a movie about the writer Katharine Mansfield. She was funded by her banker father but was a complete disappointment to her mother. I must read The Aloe again, to remind myself why I am still here.
