Healing At St Vincent’s #1 Therapeutic Partying And Horse Care

Above, Susan reflects on the importance of enjoying life inspired by a painting at Saint Vincent’s public hospital by an artist who’s signature looks like this:

Today is the feast day of St Eligius, an extraordinarily honest man and goldsmith, who was the patron saint of farmers and horses, both of which have been important parts of Susan’s life.

St Eligius with a younger bloke in a painting circa 1759 by Gaetano Gandolfi.

Geoff Fox, December 1, 2025, Melbourne, Australia Today

DETERMINATION AND TRUST

The Johnson family was camping out in the bush with their 3 dogs. It was a rare holiday for them because mum and dad had to work so much.

They spent 4 days bushwalking and fishing.

When the boys went out to pick up wood for the fire, one of them named Joey got lost with his dog Bob.

They tried and tried to find their way back to the campsite, but, by the time they got back, their family had gone home, because dad and mum were scared of losing their jobs if they didn’t get back to work.

So Joey and Bob started to walk home.

Bob lead the way sniffing everything as he walked and Joey followed patiently. He trusted his dog.

They stopped to rest near a river and filled up a bottle that they had found on their way.

It took them 6 days and 5 nights to get out of the bush.

When they found a main road, they followed it home.

They were very hungry and needed more water.

When they saw a farm, they went down to the farmhouse and the boy knocked on the door.

No one was home but the door was open so they went inside.

They found food  and took away as much as they could carry.

Joey left a note saying sorry for taking the food and left his name and address and said that he was going home.

A week later they arrived home but  no one was there except the other dogs.

Joey sat down and waited and at 11 pm his mum and brothers came home. She started to cry and hugged him.

She called his dad who came home from a search party that had been looking for them.

His dad said, “Son, I will never leave you behind again.”

Joey told his family how Bob had lead him home.

So Bob the dog became a Johnson family hero and the boy and the dog stayed together until Bob was too old and went to sleep forever.

Bob left behind a puppy which was just like Bob so Joey called the puppy Bob 2.

Joey grew up to be a married man known as Big Joe and had a son who had the friendship and trust in Bob 2 as his dad had had with Bob.

The point of this story is that every day can be an adventure, if you have a good friend to share it with.

Written mostly by Susan and a little bit by Geoff

SUS-SAN ART #1 by Pol The Painter

Pol the Painter did a quick pocket book sketch of Susan and later turned it into an insightful and powerful portrait of this Wise Mother and her Gorgi-Kelpie Cross. This is a Cross which Sue can and does live on.

A much better way to worship, IMHO, than the crosses of death.

The Heart Of Faith is primarily in life and only after that does it pass to death.

Geoff Fox, October 7, 2025, Melbourne, Australia