…from the shores around the house and in the kitchen. I am honestly dedicating this day to myself, full stop.

There is an old story from Lesachtal, about a big black rock located in Wörthersee, surrounded by whirling waters and guarded by a creature, similar to a mermaid. The most beautiful water lilies were growing here, but no one had ever survived trying to get hold of them. A hunter from Lesachtal was madly in love with a girl, whom he wanted to marry, but his rival parted the two loved ones and challenged the hunter to a a trail of courage of bringing back a water lily from Wörthersee. As the most miraculous lilies were growing on the big black rock he made his way up the rock face. Finally in reach of the lilies, he grabbed it and in that second the mermaid showed and pulled him into the whirling waters. The waves took the rock and the hunter with it and no more water lilies ever grew back.

The morale of this story is mystery to me. I would have appreciated an ending including: - …he fought the mermaid, retrieved the water lily, went back to his loved one and lived happily ever after. Since then water lilies, greater then ever, grew all over Wörthersee and the evil mermaid was never seen again.

Sagas and stories should have a happy ending, even though in real life, it sometimes plays a different role. I think I will spend the afternoon re-writing and and beautifying some really bad endings and at least make the morale clearer… Wonder if I can give Titanic and Wizard of Oz another spin … “there is no place like home” all over again..

So long - stay tuned.

/S