Totems and Charms- The Blog Wrap-up

We have been back in Fort Bragg for over a month now, and I have been procrastinating on creating my final blog-post, undoubtedly wishing to wake up in Melbourne to continue our adventures ad infinitum. No such luck.

The re-entry after 14 months away has been rougher than anticipated, mostly in subtle, hard to describe ways. It is like awakening after a deep sleep and finding most things quite familiar, yet odd, with a haunting feeling you have been the victim of an overnight alien abduction and Martian colonoscopy. It looks the same, but really isn’t. Utensils are misplaced. Where is that crock pot anyway? Why is our Kemgas bill $500/month? There are lots of things to sort out. Also, it may be as difficult preparing to leave for a long trip, but it is a lot more fun to start an adventure than end it. As you attend to hundreds of minute details, you have the pleasure of excited anticipation. When you get home, sorting through the bills and calling the phone and cable company is just drudgery.

But enough of my petty, self-indulgent whining.
It was great to see our daughter Sofia and granddaughter Kimarra and family in Arizona and celebrate her 21^st birthday! Everyone there is doing great. And seeing my mother and sibs was long overdue. In Fort Bragg, we were warmly welcomed by our friends and Saturday, our cat. Working back at the hospital is strangely unstrange.

But this is not my regular life blog, but my sabbatical blog, and I wanted to end with a proper coda.

For Christmas, Fayne's sister Mary Bess and family gave her a Pandora charm bracelet with three starter charms. It then became part of our quest to collect tokens along the way that represented our travels. I thought it would be fitting to share them in the final blog, with a few comments. First, a few rare and pithy notes from the Fayne, then my amplification. (She plays the part of Teller (the quiet one) to my Penn (the unquiet one).

 Fayne:  Present…Xmas…Mary

 F: Suitcase …travel…Mary

  F: Murano bead…Mary…previous travel

 John: The first three "kick-started" the whole project, all very apt and a good way to begin.

 

 F: Hearts…Valentines Day…John

 

 F: Christchurch Earthquake…John

 

 F:  Kiwi…john

 

 F: Pisces…birthday…John

 J: February is a big month, what with Groundhog Day, Waitangi Day, Valentine's Day, and Fayne's birthday. She was not shy about what she wanted: more charms, some with specific NZ connections. Yes, ma'am! The cracked house was a special one made to commemorate and raise money for the earthquake and recovery. This was done after the first one, in September, 2010, but before the second deadly one at the end of February (foreshadowing?).

 

 F:  NZ fern…Kensington…blessing

 

 F:   Koru…Kensington…blessing 
J: More kiwiana, but with special significance. The last two months in Timaru, Fayne worked in the psychiatric facility, Kensington, only a few hundred feet from our house. Although she did not work long, she was much needed, worked hard, and was much appreciated. At a going away party, they surprised her with two charms symbolizing her time in New Zealand, the ubiquitous fern leaf and the spiral koru, of great symbolic significance in Maori culture. The gifts were all the more touching because they were all blessed with a Maori chant from a local elder.

 

 F: New Caledonia…coral

J: A reminder of the beautiful coral motus and lagoons surrounding the island.

 

 F: Crystal…Princess cruise

J: Representing the glitz of the the Sun Princess.

 F: Giant Clam…Great Barrier Reef

J: A great day snorkeling on a cruise excursion. 

 

 F: fish...Bali....pedicure

J: Well, those feet-nibbling little fishies were memorable.

 

  F: Kangaroo…wallaby…quokkas…Rottsnest Island

J:Cannot go to Oz and not pick up one of these.

 

  F:  Lion…Singapore

J:A gift to Fayne for a long, hot, frustrating day in Changi Airport.

 F: Naga…Cambodia

J:Serpents, serpents everywhere in the temples and statues.

 F:  Jade..Guilin, China

J: So many traditional Chinese items from which to choose, but how can you go to China and not buy some jade?. 

 F:  Buddha…Hong Kong…34 meters high and 250 tons…tallest seated outdoor bronze Buddha on the planet

J: The Buddha was one of the Asian icons we encountered most frequently. 

 F:Yin/Yang…present from John as a symbol of our entire trip (Hong Kong)

J: I thought this was very simple but elegant. So much of Chinese culture and philosophy is based on these ancient principles of balance between opposite natures.

 F: Adelaide Charm Shop...boomerang

J: We wanted an object to reflect our visit to Aboriginal Australia, and found this near the end of the trip.

 F: Tasmania, Salamanca Market: found my totem, a mouse, in an 80 c bin

J: A last minute find at the colorful Saturday market to fill a final spot on the chain. A bit of on inside joke. Fayne was born in The Year of the Rat, and little rodents seemed to follow us around, one keeping us awake all night while visiting Ayers Rock.

So after 15 months and this the 58th blog post, it comes to an end. It was a tremendous and exciting time, and I was so blessed to have the opportunity to do this and share it in words and pictures. I am deeply appreciative of my loyal blog readers and have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback I have received. Thank you so much. I hope most of you have the chance to have similar adventures in your future, and maybe you too will share them on-line.

A personal PS- I have learned that some of my most faithful followers live a very rich cyber-life despite serious physical challenges. One of those ardent Fort Bragg fans has passed on since my return. S. C., you will be missed.  jtw