My dad's favourite expression for announcing great change was always, "The time has come to talk of many things, of men and mice and what is next."

I see now, looking at where this came from, that dad had Lewis Carroll slightly muddled and had created his own version – but it still works for me.

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things:

Of shoes – and ships – and sealing-wax –

Of cabbages – and kings –

And why the sea is boiling hot –

And whether pigs have wings."

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass.

This should have been written last week and I apologise to all those who saw the advert for a new editor without any explanation from me, and have since phoned or sent letters and messages I deeply appreciate.

Yes, I am leaving as the editor of the Knysna-Plett Herald at the end of April, but am not leaving Knysna permanently.

The beautiful old house that Mark bought us when we moved here three years ago, is the first place I have stayed in for a so long since I left my parents' home.

Most of my life has been lived like the proverbial rolling stone.

"A rolling stone gathers no moss" is an old proverb, credited to Publilius Syrus who, in his Sententiae, says people who are always moving, with no roots in one place or another, avoid responsibilities and cares. As such, the proverb is often interpreted as referring to figurative nomads who avoid taking on responsibilities or cultivating or advancing their own knowledge, experience, or culture.

This description has elements of truth, in that I don't know where I am going or even when or for how long, but I am not avoiding responsibilities and I am simply going to grow in another direction.

I do have roots now in the vegetables I have planted at our home, love deeply rooted in Mark and our two cats – and in everyone of you I have come to know.

To the many, many readers and to this community who have supported me and this newspaper, shared stories with me, been so faithful in writing letters (each one appreciated) and become become my "work family", you are my moss, thank you.

To Group Editors, a company with a heart, and especially to director and a brilliant boss Nicole Rimbault, thank you.

To Riana, Boniswa, Nwabisa, Stefan and Yaseen, Nosi, to Stephen who does our layout, and to Zirk and Charlene, thank you.

All I can tell you at this point is that, sometime, I am hoping to use a diploma done years ago to teach English in far-flung places of the earth – especially in Asia which is calling me since here the biggest chunk of my adult life was lived, in Hong Kong where my children were born.

I have had books floating in my head for years which I will now write.

Dear readers and Knysna community, I am going to figure out if pigs have wings and if the sea boils in some places, but you are not being abandoned.

I may not have driven into the estuary, but I like to think Knysna is my home – resting place for the stone that will always roll back here.

Please keep talking to the Knysna-Plett Herald journalists because, without your generous input, we could not do our jobs – keep your hearts open and trust us as you have done.

And you will always be able to find me on elainewriting@gmail.com.