Sunny white beach glimpsed through tall white gum trees, the shiny white teeth of bride and groom.

The gods smiled on our friends on Saturday - the day before had been howling rain and wind.The day itself was windy, sunny and beautiful - down on the south coast, a 3 hr drive from Sydney.

As weddings go, this was warm, honest, funny. Like the couple is, too. The crowds gathered in partial shade looking over white white sand, rocks spraying the clearest summer sea green spray, shading out to colder deep. Children in pretty clothes, summer dresses flying, a few chairs for the older ones, shaven men in crisp shirts, and bare feet everywhere.

The bride wore a Japanese floral print dress, her hair in an elegant chignon. The groom in a white shirt, sand trousers. There, that was the Woman's Day moment.

It was a gathering of the tribes: alternative activists and health practitioners, Canberra public servants, Sydney corporate types, artists galore.

The wind nearly blew the oyster shells off our plates, smashed glasses and paper lanterns, a few kangaroos looked on nonplussed as we lunched on the lawn of the finest holiday house indeed, and the jokes were predictably bad.

And then to the sea, a bracing afternoon to swim. Now I feel really clean and quiet. The Leathermanman went for a huge surf, and was joined by the groom.

The power went out before sunset, taking the water with it - water pumps. Nobody minded, candles did just as well, and the gas BBQ worked. The champagne got tepid, so we switched to red wine. The full moon rose through a cloud, a tribe had trooped to a headland to watch it come up.

A sparkling conversation about the desire for consciousness, the full 100% of the brain in use, the full holographic omniscience. What about the need for ballast, potential? A truly inspiring conversation between a doctor I know and love and a chandsome and charming former Sanyassen and meditation whizz. Wow!

Oh it's a lovely season here in Australia when that is the focus of a weekend!

And I'm sure the bride will dance on her honeymoon. Thank you friends.

Done

It's done: every last assignment, every last presentation, every last exam!
The floodwaters of social life broke over me by lunchtime last Thursday, 1 hour after the last exam, with champagne and prawns and divine dipping sauces (thank you Dr M!) around the fire in our garden til late. And then continued in a heady rush of friends I've barely seen, new neighbours, and family for 6 whole days! Wonderful to have my other life spill back out, with news from far away, people I'd almost lost. And the reality of being able to enjoy it all right now, and not be needing to do something else really, all the time.
By last night, all I could do was sit and watch a DVD by myself at home. The Lives of Others, gentle, insightful, serious film about the Stasi in East Berlin. Wonderful.