Day 55 - Today I am grateful for....an afternoon at Heaven's Gate

What a lovely day I've had today!

I had a big sleep in this morning.....my goodness I needed it.

Then I watched a movie, changed my loungeroom around and called my friend, Andrea.

"Come on down!", she said. And so I did.

Afternoon Tea at Heaven's Gate....aka Murphy's Creek. Who could have asked for a better way to spend the end of your day?

  

I just love spending time at Andrea & Paul's. It's like a second home to me and they are my second family. I've kind of made them adopt me and we literally spend so much time together. Occasionally, I worry that I am encroaching on their family time, but I'd like to think that if I was, they'd let me know.

Murphy's Creek is a really beautiful little town down the range a little way. I don't know how to actually describe where it is because my car just kind of drives there. But it's always green, and the birds chirp and the frogs croak. A gentle breeze blows as we drink coffee on the deck and look out on the beautiful view of the mountains. There are animals everywhere at their beautiful old homestead and there isn't another place on earth beside my own home and my parent's home, that I feel so safe and loved.

We've shared some really wonderful times together in the last 12 months and honestly, one of my favourite things to come out of my messy breakup, was my friendship with Andrea. We would probably never have become as close as we have without it.

She is such an amazing woman. So strong and independent and loving. I love every hair on her head! There is never a silent moment between us. Ever. We talk and laugh and sometimes cry. She's an amazing cook and we enjoy many family dinners together. We are kindred spirits and I believe are destined to be friends forever.

In fact there are a couple of close friendships that I've developed in the last year that would never have happened if I'd not been through the pain I have. Would I have opened my heart to those friendships and leaned on people as much as I did if I hadn't? Probably not. And as my girlfriend, Ronnie said to me "I'd make you go through every second of the pain again, for us to be friends, because I value our friendship too much to not have you in my life." And she's right.

I'm very fortunate to have the people around me that I do. The real friendships that I value so much.

And so today, I'm so grateful for a lovely afternoon with one of my best friends, her family and their beautiful home at Heaven's Gate. As close to Heaven as we can get on earth. Love you xxx