We live in and I was raised in such a disposable society.
It breaks? Get a new one. Now my partner Craig he was raised in the embargoed South Africa. If they had something they made it last. It has been challenging to some extent for us to mesh those two ways of being. But honestly…his is so much the better way. The trick is having skills to fix things and not just get so frustrated that you say screw it and toss it and buy something to replace it.

Well I tell you. Two years  ago, on an extended whim, I bought  a caravan. It was so cute I couldn’t resist. I had it all made up to be a glamper van. I used the excuse that I could take it and use it as a photobooth for weddings… Great concept except I forgot to really weigh up that fact that I didn’t enjoy shooting weddings and wasn’t really targeting that market. I liked the idea of it but not the practice. So Coco the caravan instead became my little escape pod of cuteness. Whenever I needed to get away from the crazy that was the family I would plan a writing retreat and off I would go.  It was heaven on earth.  No one to make happy but little old me.
I had ideas that I could take it on location do makeup in it and then do the shoot. The concept is good except it eats petrol like lollies and I have a perfectly good studio where I am…but still. It gives me options and I LOVE IT.

Last year was a challenging year though and I was so busy working in the business that poor Coco didn’t get taken out. When spring came I went to have a look at her summer worthiness and when I opened the door I was horrified to realize that there was mold and mildew everywhere because she had sprung a leak. What a freaking mess. I focused so hard on making her look good that I neglected her guts. Her stability. I just simply neglected her. The temptation was totally there to close the door and pretend I didn’t see it. But once seen It can’t be unseen so where as before I would have groaned and ignored it now with my solid focus on the Base Chakra I realized that I needed to take care of that which was mine.

And also realize that everything I chose to have in my life comes at a price.  So more than ever I need to choose things that bring me joy and happiness and release that which doesn’t.  I went through my closet and did this and it felt like a brilliant lightening of spirit.  Does this piece of clothing serve me and bring me joy?  Yes?  Then you get to stay.  I started going around the house and doing the same thing.  I am getting rutheless about clutter and “stuff”.  Now this is new.

Before I started working with the chakras I could easily be called a disorganized hoarder.  I could justify the hoarding as it could be used for the studio but the disorganized part that was part of a wonkey first chakra.   It runs in the family.  My mum, uncle and dad are all pretty classic hoarders as well.   As I have begun to work on the Chakras I am finding that that habit is leaving me and I am craving order and cleanliness and a shedding of that which no longer serves.

Coco when I weighed her up even with the messy state she was in was a keeper.  She does bring me deep joy and I needed to make sure that I took care of her even if it was eating into my holiday.  How good would it feel to know that she is sorted.   I took her to my friend Angie’s house because Angie is cool and had lots of tools and stuff and really knows how to fix things.   We had to rip out part of her lining to see if there was truly a mold infestation and we were lucky that there really wasn’t. However the roof struts need to be replaced and the leak needs to be found and sealed.

She is gutted at the moment.  Just sad to see her in this state but hopefully by tomorrow I will be able to do a temporary patch and organize something more permanent when my engineer friend comes up for a visit.  To really fix her it is going to require a bit more moolah that I currently have with the very real possibility I will need to fly back to the states to see Dad soon.

His visit to the doctors earlier this week has shown that the cancer has spread to his liver.   It isn’t looking great and I don’t think he will be in any condition to travel here.  So this morning I sorted out my passport to go see him.   Working on the caravan helped.  To have a little sanctuary when it is all getting too much is for me taking care of my roots.  Taking care of myself so I am happily counting this as Base Chakra work.  Tending that which is home.

Funny thing though.  My ankle is stuffed.  And in the whole eel incident yesterday I even managed to cut my toe on a rock so I am wobbly on my pins…my base chakra on a physical plane at the moment.  Hopefully that will come right soon.  The Osteopath had a play with it but it didn’t seem to help.  Certainly made me realize how much I take my big old feet for granted and how incredibly important they are.