This post is for J on his birthday.
To J I owe so many debts. Four children for a start, culminating in four grandchildren and a year in Warsaw – his idea. But there have been many other debts over the years. Let me list the things I owe him for, in no particular order.
A move from an academic life in the city to the life of an almost-hippy and market gardener in the bush.
Conversations over nearly fifty years about poetry, literature, philosophy, language and languages, politics, and any other subject you can think of, which shaped my views in all these fields.
Camping in off-the-beaten-track places – by waterfalls, in rainforest, in the bush and in the desert, even in quarries and tips and beside busy roads.
A series of passions: rainforest, orchids, shells, rocks, boats, and most recently the trees of Warsaw in spring.
A near vegan diet.
A separation that enabled me to live in Broken Hill find out many thing about myself and my capacities.
A six day hike in the wilderness on the NSW / Victorian border and many other shorter walks in wild country.
And there are so many things I admire.
His physical strength and stamina.
His intentional and unconventional life.
His capacity to focus on whatever interests him at the moment with a devotion I could never hope to emulate: learning Polish, building a relationship with Maja and Jaś, constructing a boat or a domed garden, studying mathematics.
His adventurous spirit: he’s rowed a boat up the Murray River, walked around the rim of Mt Warning, sailed across Moreton Bay in a howling gale on his maiden voyage, cycled through Victoria.
When he was a young man he wanted to know everything. He would argue with me, but I reckon he’s come close!
Happy birthday, intermittent companion of 50 years.
Tell the old bastard happy birthday. The phones refuse still to talk to each other by text. There is money in his account, some of which is for offences against your kindle. Rex says to say happy birthday to Patrick White xxxx
LikeLike
Thank you!! R and mob just came over with a chocolate cake with one candle, and J acquired cheeky chocolate chops in appreciation and for their amusement. I’ll send you the photo less publicly. We baby sat last night and shared a midnight vodka ( with R and M, not Maja and Jaś) to let the wild rumpus begin!
LikeLike
The reply before mine made me laugh out loud. But quietly because my head’s fragile after the Girls. Calamity! Laptop won’t start this morning. Where is J when I need him? No more Restlessjo…. What a wonderful tribute to him xx
LikeLike
You’ve pinpointed one area of J’s inexpertise: he’d be no help with a laptop. In case you didn’t realise, quollgirl is our eldest daughter. I hope the girls’ night was worth every aftermath!
LikeLike
Perfection is no fun, is it? I ‘fixed’ it myself, thank goodness 🙂 I confess I’d forgotten. Thought she was being a little over familiar 🙂 Have you plans for the day?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awesome tribute. With no idea how to communicate a ‘yadhtrib yapph’ except via you, I trouble you to please pass along felicitations! Thank you. Xxxx. Have been enjoying your blog and the gorgeous photos! Big hugs to you both. PS Jim Zaris had a massive heart attack last week and died, went to the funeral in Narooma.
LikeLike
I was pretty dopey after a late night last night, and it took me a while to register your identity, and even longer to decipher happy birthday! I’d never heard Jim’s surname, so that added to the mystification. Yet another up-river loss. Thanks for birthday greetings. xx
LikeLike
Happy Birthday J. Celebrate in style and many happy returns. I haven’t seen you for more than 30 years, but I have enjoyed hearing from Meg about all the adventures you have shared, one way and another. I particularly admire your tenacity in learning Polish and your intimate knowledge of the Australian bush and its ways in the area in which you normally live.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for your good wishes. Yesterday he walked 14 km along the Wisła with a wide stretch of woodlands tweet river and city. Now he wants a bike and a tent.
LikeLike
You could have anticipated that, given the length of this stay and how well you know his ways.
LikeLike
Indeed, and it means he’s nesting in and may stay the year.
LikeLike
The makings of a good life well celebrated by LIVING it. Congrats all round.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s certainly done that – to many fulls!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He sounds like a darling to me and a keeper 😉
Also as a Gemini he’s bound to want to know everything. Happy Birthday to J and I hope you both enjoy celebrating x:-)x
LikeLike
Chocolate cake, vodka, stringy asparagus, and capsicum and carrot soup. What better celebration? – and he’ll probably add a 10km walk. Definitely a keeper as time attests!
LikeLike
What a truly delightful post – he must be dead chuffed or totally embarrassed 😉 And I think he is very lucky to have YOU in his life all these years – you are obviously very good friends and spur each other on. No regrets. xx
LikeLike
He’ll never know! He doesn’t read my blog. Embarrassment would probably be an understatement?
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 😀
LikeLike
Sounds like a life it is good to look back at! Congratulations from me too☺
LikeLike
Best wishes to J may the next year continue to be filled with passions and discoveries for you both. It sounds a perfect partnership, allowing time apart when necessary and sharing so much together. As Gilly says, definitely a keeper…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We haven’t lived together for twenty years, except in Warsaw!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful. Happy birthday to J.
LikeLiked by 1 person