Looking after Nushi

 Shushann had to go out for the day so I dropped by her home in Coogee at lunchtime to give Nushi some company. We went for a lovely walk to the park where I met lots of other lovely dogs and their owners.

How cute is this little guy!

Memorable moments: The Grinder revelation

A couple of years back, I invited my meditation group over for an evening of quiet contemplation. We were deep into the "Now," watching Eckhart Tolle on the TV and soaking in the stillness of the room.

Toward the end of the night, my long-term housemate, Martin, returned from his weekly Friday ritual at the pub. Martin is a wonderful character, funny at the best of times, but particularly "tiddly" after a few pints. He wandered into the lounge, still radiating the boisterous energy of the public house, and joined our circle of calm.

My friend Sushann, curious about our living arrangement, asked Martin how the two of us had originally met. The mundane truth was that we’d connected through a website called Roommates.com.

Martin, however, saw a golden opportunity. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye and the confidence of three beers, he looked at the group and deadpanned:

"We met through Grindr!"

For anyone familiar with the app, the joke was obvious—a renowned hookup site for gay men was the furthest thing from our "Roommates" reality. The room erupted in laughter, and we moved on, eventually drifting back into our meditative presence.

Or so I thought.

A few weeks later, Sushann pulled me aside, her expression heavy with solemnity and a touch of newfound understanding.

"Wow, Graeme," she said with all seriousness, "I didn’t realize you were gay."

It turned out she was the only person in the room who hadn’t caught the punchline. To her, Martin’s drunken "revelation" wasn't a joke; it was a profound piece of personal history. It was a classic "Myburgh" moment: while I was sitting there immersed in a world of spiritual presence and higher consciousness, Sushann was busy recalibrating my entire identity based on a Friday night prank.

My favourite doggie

Now that Mackie and Jason have gone, Nushi is my number one doggie in the world.  Here are some precious photos and video taken by Shushann. Their relationship is so beautiful. Two way unadulterated unconditional love!

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Xenia birthday lunch at Frenchy's

We love Frenchy's cafe in Mosman. It has very much become our regular haunt. Xenia had her 55th birthday while she was in Tasmania but we celebrated it now that she was back.  Afterwards, I went for a wonderful walk to Taronga Zoo.

Wearing Shushann's glasses for fun. Very clear !!

Conscious aging

Shushann is planning to create spiritual workshops and groups around helping people to age consciously and gracefully. Getting older has been on my mind a lot of late, so I offered to help her explore the subject. I compiled a document providing a framework and quotes.

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A meditation experience

 

Krissula's birthday

A lovely lunch at The Oak's celebrating Krissula's 78th birthday. 

Special connections

 

Meeting up with Marion for dinner

We met at Papaya restaurant in Cammeray. It's always wonderful to see Marion. Her lovely friend Barbara came too. I had the crispy pork stir fry.  Utterly delicious.

Jane birthday lunch

We celebrated Janes birthday at a wonderful Greek restaurant in Manly. We all had octopus which was the restaurant's speciality. I felt a little guilty.  After watching "My Octopus Teacher" a few years ago, I promised myself I would never eat octopus again!

 

Walking from Freshwater to Curl Curl

A relaxed walk with Shushann along a lovely stretch of coast.