Still in Canada.....

........and having an absolutely mind blowing time!

Yesterday I was a key note speaker - and I had a long time - over an hour - speaking over lunch - to the whole conference - and later I spoke at the end of the Charrette process............ and it was truly amazing!

This is a very special conference and I love them - and they love me!!!!!

It's funny how things work out - I was interested in coming to this conference - the first of it's kind - but I had not expected the connection to be so strong - or so powerful.

Here for another two days - the conference continues today and tomorrow I have a series of meetings before flying home tomorrow night - then the Women's Lodge at Spirithorse for the weekend.

Heard that Mama died whilst I've been here - I am going to think about that whilst I'm in Wales - too much going on for me here to go there - so I will give myself time then...................

somewhere - out there!

It's Saturday night - 10ish and I'm in Toronto - having worked all day in an amazing Charrette process - as an expert - and been with special friends from US earlier - then dinner with amazing members of my team - feel pretty blown out!!!

Obviously in some kind of superlative mode - which is good - lots of layers to this - how come I've become what I have become! International expert - where did that come from!!!!

But this is what I have become.....

Happy to be home briefly...

........but also happy to be away again soon. Living in a whirl of travelling with all that goes with that - short bursts of intensity with long times in between. If I didn't enjoy the long times I would have to stop doing this - but at the moment I just love it.

Thinking a lot during those times - sometimes work - sometimes reading spanish books - sometimes just enjoying the moment of being there. You have to have patience to enjoy travelling.

Chris loved travelling - even though physically he should have found the process un-believably difficult - but he did have an extra-ordinary amount of patience - and particularly in the last few years - just lived for and loved the moment.

I was so lucky to have such a wonderful teacher for all those years!

So it's Sunday - a walk with all 5 boys today - some of the Sandstone Trail - followed by tea with all of us and Perri - veggie lasagna and red wine!

Tomorrow dancing, Wednesday, London, Thursday Canada.............

New friends and old friends

Having a lovely weekend - should really go running but went dancing in heeled boots last night and don't think my feet feel up to it - or me come to that! OK it was a very late night but such good fun - Vanessa and I went to a Tango night at El Rincon followed by dancing on the altar of the Alma de Cuba - two single women - out on the town!

Earlier I had been to Lesley's house and we walked and talked in her local park - a botanical garden with beautiful beech trees - again two single women - going deep in conversation and enjoying each others company.

Then today I have a big group of old friends - and two sons round for a roast dinner - though it will include one new friend - Mikko from Finland who's spending 3 months in my team - and is an amazing man. Rob and I bumped into him on Friday night and had one of those great end of the week nights talking and talking over lots of beer.

I'm thinking a lot about friendships at the moment - and how each friendship is so unique and precious. How you will talk about things differently with each friend, sharing different parts of yourself, building on these over time - making a shared history - which in time becomes part of the friendship.

Thinking about this - it goes much deeper than friends and extends to all the people that you share your life with. Some are there for only short period, some for all your/their life - but all having their own purpose within your life.

It does make me also recognise and appreciate how much of a friend Chris was to me. We were together as man and wife for all those years but he was also my best friend for all those years. I hadn't really thought of that before - and I do miss - so much - that wonderful and unique friendship.

But my life is so rich - I am so blessed with so many wonderful friends old and new. Time to get up and start preparing a roast lamb dinner - to be shared around my big extended table - with some of my oldest and dearest friends - how lucky am I.

Working and dancing...

Been very busy - big group of visitors for 4 days followed by a short trip to Brussels - but managed to dance three times this week - which was great - Monday at the Dojo - first time in a month - really needed and loved that - dancing at home! Then on the Wednesday - was pretty wild with European visitors in El Rincon - which was really good fun - if some what disconcerting for several members of my team! Then today I went with Vanessa to an Andrew Holmes Day of dancing in Shrewsbury - it was just so good!

There is just something special about dancing 5 Rhythms - and today was such a really good dance - we all went deep - blowing the socks of several new dancers - who were brilliant - Andrew is a truly inspirational teacher.

The Day was called 'Take a Partner' and explored relationships - so we danced what Vanessa and I discussed - all the way there and all the way back!! A subject of great interest to me at the moment. Until three years ago - I had spent all my adult life with one gorgeous man and that formed the basis of my relationship with all men - now I am on my own and thinking about - and making new relationships with men - and it's a whole new world - but fun!!

So it's Sunday night - and I am pretty tired - have not been sleeping well and then working, travelling loads - so it's good I have been also been dancing a lot because that really does give me energy - and today was really fabulous - I danced for 5 hours intensely - and was wild and wonderful - and I will dance tomorrow night - great stuff!!!!

How lucky am I to be able to dance!