A spiritual quest

I've spent the last couple of weeks up at my Mum's, just outside Forres. Which for those of you who are geographically-challenged is not far from Inverness. It's such a beautiful part of the world, so much open space and you get amazing views of the hills on the Black Isle over the Moray Firth. I got a little kitchen job at the Buddhist Centre, Shambala, which is where these pictures were taken. (Plug: they do B & B so stay if you're in the area). It's such an amazing house, it's got the most incredible energy. I met two really interesting Buddhist nuns, one of whom is originally from Stirling and got into Buddhism when travelling in India and the other is American and was a Methodist minister in the US for 18 years before discovering Buddhism. The whole experience has really affected me. I can highly recommend being unemployed; I have switched back to a whole world of thinking and debate that has been completely lost to me for many years. And I can't help but reflect that had Toby not died, I wouldn't be here and it's been a really fantastic trip in all sorts of ways. It's so true, life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. (Although I do think we've lost the plot in this country in terms of how we're living, but that's another story.)

And as Lucy remarked to me the other night when I told her what I'd been up to: "you are turning into your mother". True. But that wouldn't be a bad thing. She is 60 years young this week. She looks amazing and is such an interesting person to be with because she has kept learning and growing. If I'm half the person she is at her age I will be happy. Mind you, she did take me to this hippy dippy thing on Sunday where I was told I would be singing (OK) but actually we had to do a dance in a circle whilst singing to our partners (not OK and required a serious suspension of disbelief). Iain, I wish you could have been there. Although I would not have been able to contain myself if you had been.

More bonnie Scotland pics www.flickr.com/gp/10618273@N00/z83f40

So....New Zealand here I come! I'm going to hook up with Catherine there, yet another shining example of life happening when you're making other plans. In her case he's a kiwi skipper encountered somewhere on the North Island. She's put a fantastic post up about happiness, she is such a good writer so have a look. I particularly liked this part which really rang true for me: "I didn't leave London knowingly in pursuit of happiness; I was chugging along quite nicely thank you, with the aid of cigarettes, coffee and alcohol. (When you've got stimulants, who needs happiness huh?!)"